We Belong In Separate Worlds
by kelly-clarkson-is-awesome
Summary: The daughter of Vanessa Ives, a clairvoyant from the Victorian Age, and Ethan Chandler, a werewolf from the Wild Wild West, is no ordinary girl for she has no ordinary parents. This is her story. (OCxJonathan)
1. Chapter 1

_"My dear, sweet Valerie. How I deeply wish to see you grow into the beautiful, sophisticated woman you will become. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I am left with no other choice but to leave you and your father behind in this damned, wretched world. Other-worldly dangers follow me wherever I go, so I must leave. My life has been nothing short of a cruel curse, and I pray you will not inherit it from me. Remember to always listen to your father. He is the only person in this world you can trust. When the night becomes bleak, remember that you are not alone. You have your family, your friends, and most of all you have God. Pray to Him to give you strength, and do not turn your back to Him the way I did. You are destined for extraordinary things, my child, for your father and I are no ordinary people. Do not ever forget where you come from. Love forever and always, your mother."_

* * *

Hawkins, Indiana. What a town. I guess my very first memory from there is my 5th or 6th birthday party, but I can't remember which one. What I do remember are the people who were there. My dad, of course, was standing right next to me near my birthday cake. He was tall with shoulder-length dark brown hair and a stache to go with it. He looked very young for his age, a 40-something year old man looking like a vital 20-something year old man. And then there was Uncle Kaet. Well, his real name is Kaetenay, but I always call him Uncle Kaet for short. He was a Native American, and I never questioned how we were actually related. He had greying hair and looked aged. The contrast between him and my father were stark.

My two best friends were also there, Nancy Wheeler and Barbara Holland. I call them Nance and Barb for short. Oh, and how could I forget? Nancy's cute baby brother, Mike, was also there. He was such a cute, fat, little baby. Always drooling and always smiling. I used to think Mike liked me more than Nance because he followed me everywhere I went. I always fantasized having a baby brother like him. But I was meant to grow up alone.

Late in the night, Nance and Barb left with their family. Uncle Kaet lit his incense candles in the living room like he always did every night. They were used to ward off evil spirits, or that's at least what he believed in. He prayed in his native tongue as he walked with the candles in his hands, thick smoke rising in the air. I followed behind him, chanting with him and holding my own incense candle that dad lit for me because I believed in it, too. We walked through every floor, every room, every nook and cranny in the house chanting in that foreign language. We ended the chanting in my room, and I put the candles on my desk. I climbed in bed, and Uncle Kaet put aside his candles, too. "Did you enjoy your birthday today?" Uncle Kaet asked as he sat at the edge of my bed.

"Yes, it was a lot of fun. I love playing with Nance and Barb. And Mikey too!"

"Yes, they are good people," Uncle Kaet replied smiling. I could see his wrinkles clearly over his eyes and mouth even in the dim light, and embedded within his wrinkles was a look of concern.

"What's wrong, Uncle Kaet?"

"Nothing is wrong, child." Before I could pester him about it, I saw dad knock on my door. Uncle Kaet gave me a smile and left my room so that my dad could take his spot on my bed.

"Hey, sweetheart." I loved the way dad smiled at me; it made me so happy. No one's smile, not even Uncle Kaet's, made me feel happier than my dad's smile. It just made me feel like no matter what bad things I did or even dreamed of, he would always be there to love me and protect me. Maybe it was because he was trying to make up for my mother abandoning our family, or maybe it was because I reminded him of her so much.

"Dad, can I play with Nance and Barb tomorrow? They said they wanted to go to the park."

"Yeah, of course." Dad took a moment to look at me. I could see sadness in his eyes. Did I remind him of my mother again? Long, curled raven hair that looked beautiful untied and tied, especially in a bun. I had never met my mother, but I'd hear stories about her. A few from Uncle Kaet and much less from dad. I guess it pained him to talk about my mother. I know he loved her very much.

"You look like Uncle Kaet when you do that, dad."

"When I do what?" he asked snapping out of his own thoughts.

"When you look at me like that. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong," he answered with a fake smile. I could tell it was forced, and I was such a naive kid to have accepted that as a reasonable answer without thinking twice. "What about you? Are you worried about having more nightmares?"

"A little bit, but if I get scared, I'll just pray to God. He'll make me feel better like He always does."

"Like always." Dad looked at me for a quick moment as if he wanted to tell me something, but all he did was give me a kiss goodnight. Maybe he wanted to tell me how much I reminded him of my mother. Brooding eyes that could make or break souls, pale skin with a hint of blush in my cheeks, keenly observant to the point where one could say clairvoyant, a mysterious and formidable beauty filled with vast secrets and inescapable danger. A figure one could never forget. Or at least that's how Uncle Kaet described her. I could only imagine how she really looked. "Come on, let's pray."

Dad and I got on our knees on the ground next to the edge of my bed. We clasped our hands and closed our eyes. We started our daily prayer in Latin, a language dad taught me ever since I learned how to talk. When we were done praying, he walked to the incense candles and was about to blow them out, but I stopped him. "Dad, wait. Can we keep the candles like that?" Honestly, I was terrified of having more nightmares. They were getting worse by the week, but I didn't tell dad how I really felt. I didn't want to worry him.

"We don't wanna end up burning the house down, now do we?" I chuckled and watched dad blow out all the candles. He always had this charm about him that could even make men swing to him. "Get a good night's rest, Val. You're gonna need it for the park tomorrow."

"Alright, dad." I tucked myself in bed.

"Goodnight, baby girl. I love you," he whispered as he walked out of my room.

"I love you, too, dad," I whispered back as the darkness slowly crept around me. I kept my eyes wide open, but no one can stay awake forever, especially a little kid.

I always had nightmares. Every night. I always dreamed of this quiet world. And it was dark. Dad used to tell me that Hell is a place where God banishes evil people's souls to. Well, this world kind of felt like that. Except there were no human souls or even humans at all. Only monsters. These ugly, weird-fleshy monsters with no face, and they fed on blood. A sort of...vampire-like monster. And it definitely wasn't some transparent soul like a ghost. It was real. I could feel its presence was very real and tangible. It always fed, and it could always smell me. I run and run, but the monster is frighteningly fast. Before it can catch up to me, I wake up in cold sweat.

It never felt like these nightmares were just a part of my imagination. It felt so real, and I thought a lot about what I saw. Maybe there was some kind of subliminal message behind the dreams. I suppose you could say I was right. After all, I was - and still am - clairvoyant. Well, to a certain degree I am.

Anyways, when I turned 10, that's when my life flipped upside-down. My birthday was on a full moon that year, and I was home with the babysitter. Dad and Uncle Kaet always left once a month on the full moon to the mountains. They said they go to hunt animals, but I never believed them because they never came back with any souvenirs.

I was sitting on the couch watching TV by myself. The babysitter was using our phone to talk to her friends when I felt this strange pain that started in my head. It was a pain I never felt before, the most painful, aching pain. It felt like my bones were cracking inside my body, as if they were breaking and rearranging themselves. The pain was immense, and to this day I don't remember the rest of that night.

I woke up in my bed late in the morning, and I could hear dad shouting at Uncle Kaet from downstairs. "This is all YOUR fault!" Dad screamed angrily. It frightened me hearing how upset he was. "You...you cursed my family."

"And have you already forgotten what YOU'VE done to MY family?" Uncle Kaet responded calmly yet sternly. My dad didn't respond, and I didn't understand. Dad hurt Uncle Kaet's family? But...what family? I thought we were his only family...I couldn't help myself. I became curious. I wondered if dad was saying something back to Uncle Kaet because it was quiet. I crawled out of bed slowly, still aching from last night.

I quietly walked down the hall from the second floor, and I heard dad respond. "What can I do? How do I..." Desperation. It was the first time I ever heard it in his voice, and it certainly wasn't the last.

"Stop the transformation? You can't. You know that."

"No, no bullshit! There has to be SOMETHING. Anything." Silence again. "The doc...the doctor!" Dad ran to the phone, and there was silence again. He was dialing. "Doc. Is that you?...It's Ethan Chandler...Y-Yeah, yeah I'm doing okay. I, uh, have a favor to ask of you. My daughter...she's...cursed...no, no, not like _her_. Like _me_...yes...is...is there anything you can do for her? Any...medicine or...I dunno some science stuff that you're good at...Please. There's gotta be something you can do. Or maybe you know someone else who can help her...R-Really? Okay...yes, anything...Okay, we'll catch a plane to London today. Should we meet at the old man's chateau?...okay, I'll see you then. Bye. And thank you, doc. I owe you one."

"What are you planning to do?" Uncle Kaet asked nervously.

"I'm taking her to London to see a doctor. We leave today."

"Will you come back?"

"I don't know." I heard footsteps by the stairs, and I rushed back into my room and in my bed. I pretended like I was still sleeping, and I heard my door open. "Val, Val, wake up now." Dad opened the curtains with one aggressive swoop, and I immediately looked at my father with clear eyes as I sat up.

"What's going on, dad?"

"We have to go to London. Get dressed and pack up."

"London? But why?" I asked getting out of bed.

"Because I said so," he snapped at me. "Now wash up and pack NOW." I knew dad wasn't going to hear another word of it, so I immediately did as told. I was frightened. I didn't understand what was going on. I didn't even have time to think about what I was leaving behind in Hawkins. All I could think about was what was happening. Dad rushed me, and I saw Uncle Kaet in the car ready to drive us to the airport. I went in the backseat of the car before dad because he was packing the suitcases into the trunk.

"Child, you listen to your father, do you understand?" Uncle Kaet said looking right into my eyes.

"Yes, sir," I replied with a nod. He sighed heavily as my dad got in the passenger seat. Uncle Kaet drove us to the airport, and the drive was deadly silent. No one spoke. When we arrived, dad asked Uncle Kaet to take care of the house while we were gone. Uncle Kaet nodded without a word and looked at me one last time. I saw sadness in his eyes, almost out of regret. He drove away without saying a word, and dad and I got ready to board the plane.

It didn't hit me that we were leaving the country until we were actually inside the plane and sitting in the seats waiting for take-off. "Will we ever come back to Hawkins?" I asked dad looking up at him. It finally hit me that I was leaving my whole life behind. My friends, school, Uncle Kaet...

"I don't know," he answered looking right back into my eyes. He was telling me the truth.

"I didn't even get to say bye to Nance and Barb," I replied sadly. I was going to miss my best friends in the whole wide world, and I couldn't even give them a phone call.

"I know, sweetheart, and I'm sorry about that." He paused for a moment to end the conversation, and then he leaned down to me to talk quietly. "Look, Val. I'm going to be very serious with you right now. Can you try to...understand?" I nodded, unable to speak. My eyes and mouth were wide open, halfheartedly anticipating and halfheartedly afraid. "We're going to London to see a doctor."

"Where's London?"

"In Europe. It's across the sea."

"Who's going to see the doctor?"

"You."

"Me? I'm...sick?"

"Yes."

"But I don't feel sick."

"I'll tell you more when we get to London, I promise." Dad held my hand warmly in his. It felt like he wanted to say more, but he didn't. He faced forward once more and didn't let go of my hand the whole plane ride. London, I'd never heard of this place before or even knew of its existence till a couple hours ago. It was foggy, smoggy, overcast? I couldn't tell the difference. It just wasn't sunny the way it was in Hawkins. Dad caught a taxi for us and we drove in silence for a while. "We're going to the place where your mother used to live." I looked up at my dad. My mother was never in the picture ever since I could remember. Dad never talked about why so I assumed she broke his heart when she abandoned us.

We finally arrived to the largest house I ever saw. It was like a prince's castle, the kinds of grand places you'd see in grand movies. Dad led the way into the chateau through the front doors. I couldn't believe he had a key to this kind of place. We stepped inside the grandiose house, and it was absolutely magnificent. The stairs, the high ceiling with chandeliers, the vastness and history locked away in the house made the moment surreal.

"Doc!" I heard my father say. I looked to my right and saw a very old man standing there. He had no hair but I could tell it was supposed to be white/gray. He was really skinny, kind of like a skeleton. No beard, no mustache. He also looked really tired, almost as if he hadn't slept in a couple of days. Was he possibly feeling tired because of me and my father's abrupt appearance? And there was another man next to this old one. He was still old but much younger than the skeleton. Maybe late 30's, 40's? The old man must've been like 80, maybe just hitting 90? I watched my father and this old man embrace.

"Unbelievable," the old man said to my father looking at his face with utter astonishment. "How..."

"No time for that now, doc. So where's this friend of yours you were talking about on the phone?"

"Ah, yes, Dr. Jekyll. He's at his lab. Working on another experiment I suppose. But uh, first may I introduce Mr. Lyle's son?" Dad looked at the younger man, ashamed he didn't acknowledge the stranger sooner. Dad always had such great manners.

"I've heard a lot about you from my father, Mr. Chandler," the man said ecstatic as he put his hand out for a handshake.

"Hope not too much," dad said shaking Lyle's hand firmly. "And what's your name?"

"Ethan Lyle, sir." Dad and the doctor looked at one another, and they knew they were thinking the same thing. Ferdinand Lyles, this man's father, always had a liking to dad ever since they worked together on past projects.

"So, this friend of yours?" Dad turned his focus back to the doctor.

"I uh...frankly, I haven't been able to get in contact with him for quite some time now."

"Then we gotta go to him. Where's his lab?"

The doctor scoffed with amusement and said, "Mr. Chandler, forgive me but some people have aged with all this time that had gone by. Bones have gotten weaker, you see."

Dad had no response to that. He turned back to me but saw that I was still in utter fascination with the house. He looked back to Lyle and asked, "Do you have kids?"

"N-no, sir."

"Can you take care of one for a few hours?"

"I...I suppose I can."

"Great. Keep _both_ eyes on my baby girl."

"Yes, sir."

"And, Ethan Lyle, let me warn you right now. If anything... _anything_...happens to my daughter...I _will_ kill you." Lyle gulped and nodded, understanding my dad wasn't lying or messing around. He then walked to me and caught my attention.

"Dad, this place is awesome!" I said with a huge smile on my face.

"Yeah, it is. Val, listen. I gotta go meet someone right now, and I need you to stay here with Mr. Lyle." We both glanced at Mr. Lyle, and he smiled and waved his hand to us. Dad shook his head. "Just like his old man." He then faced me again. "Just stay in the house, alright? I'll be back."

"When?"

"As soon as I can."

"Can I call Nance and Barb to tell them where I am?"

"No, no you can't."

"Why not?"

"Because no one can know where you are. It's..." Dad sighed and looked back to the doctor. "Doc...can you give me a moment with my daughter?"

"Of course," the doctor replied looking at me. It was as if I brought him his old memories back of my mother too. I assumed the doctor knew mother because he was a friend of my dad's.

Dad took my hand and led me upstairs. We turned the corner and went to the room in the way back. He hesitated in opening it. He couldn't move, so I opened the door for him. He looked down at me and I looked up at him. I gave him a small smile, and he smiled back.

Dad led me into the room, and it was super dusty as if no one stepped foot in there for years. There was a bed, a small makeup table, and a wooden cross next to the cozy fireplace. It was a simple room. Dad took the first step in, and I followed. He let go of my hand and stood there in the middle of the room, looking around while being flooded with memories of him and my mother. I tried out the bed, and it was comfy. I could feel a presence the moment I touched the bed. It was strong and warm. It made me feel comfortable and at home. Dad came over to the bed, and we both sat at the edge of it. "Dad, what's wrong with me? I don't feel sick."

"Baby...it's hard to explain."

"I want to know everything." He looked in my eyes and smiled. I guess I reminded him of my mother, pestering persistently until we obtain what we want.

"You know how I always leave the house with Uncle Kaet once a month?"

"Yeah. Your hunting trip."

"I go to the mountains where no one can see me. And I...I turn into a wolf. A werewolf."

"What?" Yes, you didn't hear wrong. My dad just said he is a werewolf.

"Your mother...she wasn't an ordinary person either. She...she fought the devil, the _real_ devil, and his brother. She was...a warrior chosen by God, and I was chosen by God to protect her." I was speechless. I couldn't believe what dad was saying to me. Werewolves were supposed to be in cartoons and movies, not in real life. And my mother fought the devil? And his brother? That was never mentioned in the Bible! Blasphemy! Blasphemy? "Your mother was the greatest person I ever met, and I loved her more than anyone and anything in the whole world. She didn't leave us because she hated us, Val. You...you can't even begin to understand the sacrifice she's made for our family. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be alive."

"Is she alive? Is she...here? In London?"

"No, she's not here anymore but this used to be her room. Why don't you check out the house for a bit? She spent almost her entire life here." I looked around the room and couldn't believe this dusty room belonged to my mother. "And listen to Mr. Lyle, alright? His dad is a good friend of ours, so don't give him too much trouble."

"But...how am _I_ sick?"

"Well...you have my curse. That night you blacked out, you transformed into a wolf..."

Dad smelled me from the mountains that fateful night, and so did Uncle Kaet. After decades of constantly transforming into a werewolf during the full moon, dad learned how to control his animal instincts to a certain degree, but Uncle Kaet was better because he was much more ripe with experience. He and Uncle Kaet sneaked back home, unseen by anyone in Hawkins in the darkness of the night. When they got back to the house, they saw me bent over the baby sitter, feasting on her fleshy meat as an animal.

Dad watched over me the whole night until I fell asleep and transformed back into a human at the break of dawn while Uncle Kaet moved the baby sitter's body discreetly to the woods and staged it like an animal attack in the middle of the night. Dad cleaned me up and put me in bed, then he cleaned the house spotless. He was scared, terrified of it all. He didn't know how I'd handle the information, what I'd do if I found out, how I'd feel about his, and now my, curse.

"Is the medicine gonna make me stop turning into a wolf?"

"I'm hoping so."

"I dunno, Dad. I think it's kinda cool turning into a wolf. We could go hunting together then, right?" Dad laughed and hugged me tightly. He kissed me on my head but didn't let go of the hug.

"I love you so much, Valerie. You are my entire world."

"I love you too Dad." My dad let go of the hug to look at me. "So do I really gotta take that medicine Dad? Can't I just turn into a wolf with you?" Dad laughed again and kissed me on my forehead.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, alright? Go ahead and check out the house. But be careful. Don't go exploring too far."


	2. Chapter 2

I spent 5 dreadful years in London. I hated the place, absolutely hated it. I missed the quiet suburbs of Hawkins. The city of London was too much. Too many people, too many places to go to, too many eyes watching you. People were always in your face in London, and I missed keeping to myself during those times. Elegant balls, extravagant galas, grandiose celebrations for the tiniest and most meaningless shit ever. I suppose dealing with supernatural entities and powers daily kind of numbs you from everyday ordinary events.

Overall, my years in London were...well-rounded I guess. I had a lot of fun, especially in the beginning. It was pretty cool not going to school and learning from home. But I soon realized that school was what kept me close to my friends. I had none in London. Just my dad, and Mr. Lyle and the doctor whenever they visited. It was hard learning all the etiquette of the rich British, and I'm sure Mr. Lyle didn't have an easy time teaching me either. Learning how to waltz was my favorite though, and that I got down easily.

I used to enjoy attending all of Mr. Lyle's parties, meaningless and meaningful ones. But it was the same over and over again. Rich, fake people plastering on smiles to uphold their image, dancing for hours into the night, adultery. I tried to stay really far away from that last one, especially when it involved the old. No offense.

On the other hand, I learned a lot. Curses, spells, enchantments, whatever you want to call it. I studied from my mother's books, and some had the name "Joan Clayton" on it. But there was one book I wasn't allowed to touch. It was black with thin gold linings around the cover, and it looked ancient. Dad always reminded me that the only time I should ever read from that book is when I am in grave danger. And when I do read from it, expect my life to never go back to what it was before. That terrified me, and so I stayed away from that book, stored that curiosity deep behind my thoughts.

Most books were in an ancient and long-forgotten language called Verbis Diablo. Mr. Lyle helped me with that one. He and his father both were experts, scholars in the ancient tongue of Verbis Diablo. I studied all my mother's books like the Bible, all the witches' curses and spells. I wasn't allowed to practice it in front of Mr. Lyle. He was actually terrified to see me put those curses into action, so I'd always go to my backyard and try them on insects.

I'd watch insects burst into flames, flip over and screech in pain, explode into tiny bits and pieces, everything I could practice from the books. I tried to perfect these spells as best I could, so I'd practice day-in and day-out. I loved that feeling when I got the spell right for the 100th time because that meant I could learn another one. Yeah, I was a bit of a nerd with the spells and perfecting them.

I wasn't trying to prepare for a war or anything, though I deeply regret that I didn't. I just thought it was fun. And of course my dad would constantly remind me to never use any spells in public. I was old enough to understand why. If anyone were ever to see me using my powers, they'd bring me my inevitable death. Fear, hysteria, paranoia. All my dad needed to do was tell me a couple stories about the Salem Witch Trials and I was done. Now that I think about it, I was a really good kid. Always listened to everything my dad told me. Never doubted him once on anything.

Going back, I got a lot more lessons in many different subjects from various people. Uncle Kaet visited once in a while from Hawkins to help me tame my divination skills, something he had as well. I loved using my mother's tarot cards, and I used it every single day to practice "sensing" things, people, fate. With just a mere touch, I was able to learn about that object's past, present, and future at will. My dad and Uncle Kaet were smart enough to not let me experiment on them, so I tried on insects again. It made me glad I wasn't born an ant or worm.

The doctor, Dr. Frankenstein, taught me about the human body and anatomy. Every bone, every muscle, every organ, every hormone for any and every purpose. And I understood why. He was actually the first person I tested my divination powers on. I saw his childhood, his prime years, and his final minutes on Earth. I didn't dare tell him about the last one.

Dad helped me the most though. Shooting with precision and accuracy, hand-to-hand combat. Kind of felt like he was training a soldier. Sir Malcolm Murray left a lot of weapons in his chateau, and we used them as pleased. Swords, machetes, rifles, pistols, everything! He even had nun-chucks, spears, bows and arrows. Every weapon you could possibly imagine could be found in Sir Malcolm's chateau.

Honestly, training physically was my most favorite part of the day. I guess that's also why I loved learning to dance. Anyways, I learned everything from my dad and I wanted to make him proud. I trained hard everyday because, I mean, I had 24 hours a day to hone my skills for the past 5 years. Didn't have anywhere to go, didn't have anywhere to be but in the chateau. Hiding from society. Dad even taught me all about plants like what makes what medicine and such. Those lessons reminded him most of my mother because he learned herbology from her.

And that medicine from Dr. Jekyll. I didn't turn ever since I started taking that medicine. I tried convincing dad that I could learn how to control my animal instincts like him and Uncle Kaet, but he refused to listen. He didn't give me any other option but to take that disgusting medicine. Ugh, wish I could drink it down with a spoonful of sugar, but we didn't have the luxury. Sometimes, I used to wonder what would happen if I stopped taking the medicine, but I never tried it out. I took that medication down religiously, never skipping a day.

Now, as a 15-year-old girl, you could say I was an educated marksman/combatant, anatomist, linguist (at least in Latin and Verbis Diablo), and clairvoyant. But something just wasn't right. I felt something dark grow in me as the days went on. I grew weary and I knew it was because I was locked up in the house. Something inside of me was telling me to leave the place, that my time there was done. Maybe it was because I was lonely. I mean, I love my dad and all but we're not peers. He's my father, not my friend.

I kept thinking more and more about home, Hawkins. I wondered about the house, my friends, and it certainly worried me that I wasn't getting any lessons in math, science, and history. Or at least math, science, and history that has nothing to do with anything spiritual or religious. I wasn't getting a "proper" education.

Above my poor excuses of loneliness and not getting a "proper" education, I felt like something was pulling me to go back to Hawkins. It was an unexplainable feeling, a sort of...affinity, attraction to my hometown. But it wasn't because of nostalgia. No, it was something stronger, something bigger than that. I could imagine my mother whispering "fate" or "destiny" to me, and she'd be right.

The final straw was the night before my 16th birthday. Yeah, I guess birthdays are huge milestones in my life.

Before I got ready for sleep, I started my usual night routine in my room. I laid out the tarot cards in a semi-circle with one swoop on my bed, and I hovered my hand over the cards like a scanner. And that's exactly what I was doing. When doing the cards, you must use your full intuition in choosing a card, mean it when choosing. I felt a pull to the mid-right side, so I chose and flipped one card. "Home" was what it said. That's when I knew I had to go back to Hawkins.

I cleaned up the tarot cards and went on my knees next to my bed to do my nightly prayers. The Lord's Prayer, Apostles Creed, and Jude's Prayer all in Latin, then finally ended with my own intimate prayer also in Latin.

 _"Lord, I come before you as a sinner asking for repentance. I was selfish during my time here in London. I wanted to learn the ways of a daywalker like my mother. But I continued and still continue to forget that that was what brought her demise. Help me make better choices, Lord, for all must bow down to your will. I bow to your will, your servant. Please watch me and protect me. I pray you will show me what to do next in Hawkins. In your holy name I pray, Amen."_

* * *

Another nightmare. They always start out the same way, every time. The dark, quiet world. The monsters. The eerie quietness of the forest. But this time, there was a child. A young boy, maybe 10 or 11? He had these big, round eyes and brown hair. He wore an orange vest and he was running for his life. He hid, he ran, he tried to survive against those monsters.

This kid needed help. The monsters were trying to sniff him out, I could feel it. It kind of felt like I knew the monsters so well that I knew I could hunt one down if I really tried. I heard a voice, a woman's voice shouting. It was faint but she sounded frantic. She was shouting out "Will" constantly, and her voice echoed through the dark world. The boy ran to a tree, and there looked like some jelly barrier between him and another world. I could barely make out a figure through the jelly. Couldn't tell if it was a man or woman.

The woman kept shouting "Will" but much louder now, and the boy was crying out "mommy". My heart tore into pieces, watching and listening to this mother and son crying, calling out for each other. I could hear the monsters coming, I could feel them drawing closer. I knew there wasn't going to be a lot of time, not if the boy wanted to survive a little longer. "Hey," I called out to the boy. The boy gasped from fright and turned around.

"What? What's happening, Will? Talk to me! Will?!" the mother cried. I walked boldly towards Will, and he backed up against the tree looking at me with those big eyes. He was terrified, and it made me want to help him more.

"Don't be afraid," I said with a smile. He took a moment to look at me, and he immediately pounced at me for a hug. He dug his head deep into my chest, and he was trembling even while hugging me tightly.

"I'm so afraid," he confessed.

"Will! Will, please talk to me! How can I help?!" the woman continued to shout.

"I want to go back to my mom," the boy said looking at the jelly disappearing slowly as if closing the barrier between the two worlds. He then looked into my eyes and said, "Please, help me." I nodded, and the boy weakly smiled. The monsters roared, and it echoed all the way to where Will and I were. He gasped, and the one glimpse of happiness and light I saw him in disappeared. I saw terror and darkness spread over his face. "I hear it coming! It's coming!" he cried out with utter fear.

"What's coming? What's coming, Will?!" the mother shouted.

"Run," I whispered to the boy. "Run and hide now."

"But what about you?" The boy didn't want to separate.

"I'll lead it away. You need to run and hide."

"But I'm scared. Please come with me." I looked at Will, and it broke me seeing how frightened he was. But I had to go. This was a dream where I had no idea what the consequences would be if anything happened to me or Will, and I didn't want to take the chance in finding out.

I took off my ring that my dad gave me for my 10th birthday, and I put it in the boy's hands. "Keep it safe. I'll return for it. I promise," I said looking into Will's eyes to show him I meant it. Will opened his hand and looked at the ring for a second, noticing the wolf on the ring. The monsters' roars sounded louder meaning they were closer. Will knew he had to go, so he ran as quickly as he could. The mother kept shouting and shouting for her son, and I went up to the jelly. "Will is safe," I shouted wondering if she could hear me.

"What? What? Who-who are you?" The jelly kept getting covered by the bark slowly like magic. Before I could've told the lady my name, the monster sped towards me. Before it could get to me, I woke up in cold sweat.

* * *

Dad and I arrived back in Hawkins, Indiana the next day. There it was, our same old house. It looked exactly how we left it. I took some time looking around; I was struck with nostalgia. I went in my room and unpacked my tarot cards. I decided to try out my first one in Hawkins, so I set it up on my bed. I flipped one card, and my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. _"Death"_

I stared at the card. I examined the picture. A devil-like creature was feasting on animals with an evil grin as the blood poured down from its fangs. I couldn't put the card down. I tried to brush it off like nothing, but it didn't last for long. As I sat there to think about the card, I knew that this was also an omen. God wanted me to come back to Hawkins, but maybe it was His plan for me to not make it out alive.

Dad and I unpacked all our things. We didn't have much belongings to begin with anyways. We mostly brought back all my books and Sir Malcolm Murray's weapons. That empty house didn't need it anyways.

It took us past dusk to clean up and set up the house. When we finished, we plopped on our couch. I rested my head on my dad's chest and he held me close. "Ah, here, before I forget, I wanted to give you this." Dad took out a picture, and it was a black and white photo of a beautiful and powerful-looking woman. Brooding eyes, pursed yet full lips, a look that was all to familiar to me for I saw it in the mirror every day. "It's your mother. Her name was Vanessa Ives." I held the photo in my hands and examined it. I could see why the doctor couldn't keep his eyes off of me. It was uncanny, she and I. He was probably shocked at how similar I looked to my mother.

The whole neighborhood was asleep. The sun wasn't even close to rising. I decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood, and I stopped by Nance's house first. I could see the lights to her room were on. I took a step forward to see if I could see anything, and boy I did. A little bit too much for my liking. I saw Nance making out and getting real intimate with a boy. I couldn't make out the guy's face, but I definitely knew that was Nancy in there. I looked away to give her her privacy when I noticed a dim light from the basement windows. I ignored it, scared I might see something I'd regret.

I then walked over to Barb's house. Totally dark as if no one was home. As I continued to walk through the neighborhood, I immediately came to a halt to a house glowing brightly with Christmas lights. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was so beautiful. It felt like Disneyland or something. It was just absolutely astounding how all the lights were shining through this house.

I heard yelling from inside. The woman's voice was so familiar, but I couldn't figure out where it was from. She was having a shouting match with a male, young he sounded or at least younger than her. After exchanging a couple of angry words with one another, the front door flung open and I saw a teenage boy storm out. He noticed me immediately he lifted his head up to watch his step on the porch, and he jumped from fright. I immediately walked away embarrassed of myself and how totally creepy I was all night long. I picked up the pace and started sprinting back home. Wow, I thought to myself. The first thing I do to the first person I see is run away because this guy caught me being a creeper. Great. Death didn't sound so bad after what just happened.

* * *

I took a long time getting ready for school. This was a big step emotionally for me. Remember, for 5 years I was completely secluded not counting all those parties with those old people. Small talk doesn't lead to life-lasting friendships.

Today was my first day of school though it was nearly the middle of the school year in Hawkins. "Nervous?" Dad asked at the table reading the newspaper.

"No," I answered strongly. I screamed and jumped when the toaster was done. Dad laughed at me and drank his coffee. I got breakfast ready and was gulping it down.

"Slow down, Val. You'll end up getting cramps like that."

"I'll be fine, dad. Don't worry."

"Remember, make friends but-"

"Don't tell them what you are and what you can do. Oh, and don't show off. I know dad. I'm telling you, don't worry about me."

"Alright, alright. I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay. Love you, dad. See you soon." I kissed my dad goodbye and walked out the door with my backpack. I took in a deep breath and started walking. I lived relatively close to the school and I didn't feel like taking the school bus. I was just happy to be back in Hawkins, and I wanted to soak everything in.

My first experience of school was crazy. I wasn't even inside the building yet and I was enchanted by it all. Girls and boys my age were making out on the grass, girls walking in separate groups with books held up to their chest, boys walking through with a bounce to their step thinking they look cool. I must've looked like a tourist or something because everyone seemed to have noticed me.

High school was nothing like elementary school. That was the last time I was in a public school, when I was 10. I walked to the main office and got my locker combination. I read the instructions and tried out my locker. When it opened, I felt a jolt in my heart. I had never opened a locker before, and it was pretty cool to me. "Oh my god! Val?! Val?! Is that you?!" I looked, and so did many people, and I saw Nancy and Barbara.

I screamed too. "Nance! Barb!" We all ran to each other and squealed and hugged like little girls at a slumber party. We held each other in a hug even when the bell rang.

"I can't believe you're back," Barb said with a huge smile on her face. "It's been so long."

"Yeah, it's been a while," I replied back. "Hey, uh, can you help me with my classes? I don't know where Room 16 is."

"Oh, that's English with us!" Nancy squealed with joy. "Come on! We have so much to catch up on."

* * *

It was lunch time, and Nancy and Barbara helped me get my food from the cafeteria. We all sat together at a table near the double doors. Nancy was keeping me updated with everything that went on in her life, and I saw Barbara looking at something past my shoulders. Nancy kind of stopped talking too as she looked in the same direction.

"What are you looking at?" I asked. I looked back to see what Nance and Barb were staring at, and it was the same guy from last night. That house with the Christmas lights, the one I was being a super creep on. He walked in through the double doors with his head down as if not wanting to draw any attention to himself. He put up flyers on the walls quickly as if wanting to leave.

"That's Jonathan Byers," Barb said still looking at him. "His little brother disappeared a few days ago."

"His brother is one of Mike's best friends. Will," Nancy added. Will, that name. The mother in my dreams was screaming that name. That boy...

"Did you say Will?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why? Do you know him?" Barb asked looking at me.

"No, no. It just...I saw that name in the newspaper," I replied and looked back at Jonathan. After school, Nance and Barb offered to walk home with me today but I refused. There was something else I needed to attend to immediately. I told them I still needed to do a lot of unpacking and would rather get home by myself. My friends understood and walked off.

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes, concentrating. I felt a lot of emotions, not my own. I could feel others' emotions, and I read through them. There it was. I felt anguish, loneliness, confusion, anger. I walked quickly to where I felt that emotion, and there he was. Jonathan threw his belongings into the back seat of his car in the students' parking lot. "Hey," I said rather loudly and boldly. Jonathan was caught off guard and jumped. Guy gets frightened easily I thought. The moment he looked at me, his mouth slightly dropped and he stared at me for a moment. It was as if I brought back memories to him, but memories of what I did not know. I certainly had no memories of this guy even though we're peers.

When I kept walking closer, he looked away shyly. I stood in front of him and said, "I heard you're looking for your brother, Will."

He looked at me cautiously. "Yeah."

"Look, I know you don't know me but...I have something really important to tell you. Will you believe my story?"


	3. Chapter 3

Jonathan drove us to the local park. It was pretty empty because it was a cloudy day, and it was very quiet in the parking lot. Jonathan turned off the engine to his car, and we sat in a moment of awkward teenage silence. I didn't know how I'd tell him about Will. I didn't think things through and was too impulsive. How was I going to tell Jonathan that I only saw Will in my dreams? Why was I trying to pretend to play hero?

Jonathan couldn't look me in the eyes the entire time we were in his car. He was a very odd character, stranger than my father's friends from London. But I guess that was what intrigued me. One should become friends with those stranger than oneself. That's what Mr. Lyle used to tell me when I questioned why his father, a world linguist and Egyptologist, was friends with my father, a gun store owner.

"I remember this park," I said looking at the playground through the window. "I was supposed to meet with Nance and Barb before I left Hawkins."

"Where'd you go?"

"To London."

"London?"

"Yeah." It got awkward again quick. Jonathan wasn't very good with small talk unlike myself. Well, I was only trained to learn how to do small talk by Mr. Lyle. I didn't enjoy it because it felt so shallow and like a routine. I liked deep conversations which was why I loved asking my father's friends so many questions while in London. Dr. Frankenstein and his friend, Dr. Jekyll, were one of the most interesting people I ever met in my life.

"W-when...you said you _t-talked_ to Will...when? H-How?" Jonathan asked with a slight stutter.

"Do you believe in God?" I asked looking into his eyes. He looked back into mine for a few seconds and looked away, insecure and unsure.

"I grew up in church when I was little."

"But do you _believe_ in God, Jonathan? Do you believe in the Almighty, All Powerful One?" Jonathan looked back into my eyes longer than before, understanding I was serious about this question and that he needed to tell me the truth about his opinion.

"I guess no, not really."

"Well, the point isn't whether you believe or not," I answered looking away slightly dismissive of Jonathan's answer. It wasn't what I wanted to hear, and I got that dismissive aggressiveness from my mother. It's how she got people to do things for her. "It's whether you have the courage to face a world you don't believe in." Jonathan didn't know what to say. He didn't understand what I was talking about. "Will...he's..."

"He's what?" he asked slightly leaning forward.

"He's...in hell...and he's being hunted down by monsters of that world." Jonathan's face distorted with confusion and disbelief at what I was saying. "I don't know how to bring him back, but I saw him in my dreams and it was real. I could hear your mom shouting through a tree, and I made Will run away while I stayed to stop the demon."

"What...are you saying? I-I-I don't understand," he said in a slightly panicked tone. It made me feel crazy for a bit, like I was a maniac torturing Jonathan with my words.

"Here, give me your hands." Jonathan didn't move, and I held my hands out. I ushered him to hold my hands, and he cautiously held my hands. I gripped his hands in mine, giving him a little jump from my aggression. I needed to believe what I was saying. "Close your eyes, and breathe slowly." I took the lead and started, and I could hear Jonathan's breathing slow down. I assumed he was doing what I was doing. "Now, think about one of your most cherished moments with your brother. Think about every detail you can imagine."

I could see everything Jonathan was thinking of in his memory. I described to him everything I could see and hear. Jonathan and Will were sitting on Will's bed listening to "Should I Stay Or Should I Go". Will liked the music, and Jonathan told Will to not like something just because somebody told him to. It was a sincere brother-to-brother moment. It was quickly interrupted by shouting: a woman and man. The woman was the mother, but I never heard this man's voice before. I assumed it was her husband, Jonathan and Will's dad.

"And you turned up the volume," I continued as Jonathan watched me in shock describing in full and complete detail of his memory, a memory he knew there was no way I could've known. "But you could still hear them. You turned up the volume so Will wouldn't hear, but you heard everything. You wanted to hear. You wanted to know exactly what they were saying to each other. Every word your father shouted to your mother, you took it personally as if he was saying it to you directly." I opened my eyes to stop the memories. Jonathan immediately looked away again, insecure and embarrassed that I saw an intimate memory. He was shaking and tried to control himself. "Sorry. I can't filter the good memories from the bad ones."

"H-how...how did you do that?" he asked looking back at me. "How did you...see that?"

"God blessed me with these powers. Though I could also argue that it's a curse." Jonathan didn't say anything trying to process everything. "I want to help you and your brother, Jonathan."

"Why?" He looked into my eyes to search for an answer. That's another thing he couldn't understand, probably the most bedazzling question in his mind.

"Because I believe God brought me back to Hawkins for a special reason, granted me with special gifts for a reason, too. Will you let me help you?"

"What do you want?"

"What?" I genuinely didn't understand this question.

"There must be something you want in return. What do you want?"

"Well...I guess your brother has something of mine that's really important to me. It's a gift my dad gave me for my 10th birthday. I told your brother I expect it back when he gets home safely."

"Why...how does he have your ring?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I gave it to him in my dreams?"

"I...I don't know...I don't...know what to believe..."

"Listen, Jonathan." I looked into his eyes, and he looked back into mine. "I can't tell you what to believe in. Maybe I shouldn't have told you what I know, or maybe not at once. And I'm sorry for that. But there is a world out there that you need to know about if you want to help save your brother. I can tell you about this world." Now Jonathan couldn't stop staring into my eyes. The way he looked at me made me feel like I accidentally conjured up a trance on him.

"Have you...been to this world?"

"In my dreams. But...I know there is a real way to go there, like in real life. I just...don't know how yet. I gotta figure that out."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I...I don't know. I mean, the answer must be here in Hawkins. God sent me here for a reason, I believe it." I sighed heavily, frustrated just talking about it. I didn't know where to begin looking for Will and a way to the other world, and I wished Jonathan would be of help to me in the long run.

* * *

Jonathan dropped me off at home a bit before dinner time, and I bid him goodnight. I watched him drive off, and then I entered my house. There, sitting on the couch near the front door, was my dad. It scared the hell out of me the way he was just sitting there and glaring at me, and I jumped and screamed from fright. "Jesus, dad! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Where the hell were you?" he asked in a calm yet angry tone.

"I was...hanging out."

"With who?"

"There's this kid at school, Jonathan, and his little brother is missing. I..." I stopped myself short from telling my dad the truth. I was about to tell him that I told Jonathan about myself but that would've been a huge mistake because that was one of the rules my dad laid out for me: never tell anyone about my condition. And immediately on day 1 of school I disobeyed it. "I just felt bad for him."

"You were trying to look for this missing boy?"

"Yeah. You know how I told you God gave me a sign to come back home? Well...maybe this kid might be why."

"He's just a _missing_ kid, Valerie." Shit. My dad was really mad at me. He used my full first name. "Why are you trying to play cop now? Are you trying to impress this boy?"

"No, dad. It's not like that."

"You can't just decide to come home late because you decide to play hero to impress a boy you just met today, Valerie! And without telling me? Do you...do you have any idea what went through my mind when you were gone?!" My dad was starting to lose it, and it frightened me. He opened his mouth to describe the horrible monstrosities and scenarios that played through his mind thinking I was hurt. Kidnapping didn't scare him. That wasn't the issue. He knew I could handle my own if ever I got kidnapped. I was too smart for that. My dad was worried about the other worldly monsters and demons, the ones he's seen in his younger years, the years he spent with my mother. Those were the years that continued to haunt him till today. I understood why he was losing it.

My dad held back his tears, and I put my head down in shame. I should've known better. I knew better, but...just made wrong choices. "I'm sorry, dad," was all I could mutter.

"When school is done, you are to come straight home. No hanging out, no strolling around in the park, straight home. Do I make myself clear?" He was calmer, thank God.

"Yes, dad."

* * *

I walked to school the next day and went straight to my locker. It was still exciting opening my very own locker, and I exchanged my books. I closed it and looked back to head to Nance and Barb's locker. I saw Jonathan, and I smiled and waved hi. He cracked a weak smile and he waved back awkwardly.

I then walked towards Nance and Barb. I saw the guy Nance was making out with the night I was taking a nightly stroll. He was there with another girl and boy, obviously a couple, and Nance and Barb. "Oh hey, it's the new girl!" Nancy's guy said with a big smile. His hair reminded me of whipped cream.

"Hey," I replied with a genuine smile.

"Let me see. If I remember correctly...your name is Valerie?"

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute. Nancy," the guy said looking back at Nancy with a surprised look on his face but one that seemed a little too over-the-top. "You haven't told your best friend about your boyfriend?"

"Steve!" Nancy whined with a cute smile to him as if she was feigning annoyance. Barb rolled her eyes.

"I guess I'll have to introduce myself then." The guy then turned back to me with a smile still on his face. I couldn't tell if it was genuine or fake. "I'm Steve Harrington." He put his hand out for me to shake, so I did. In that moment, I decided to take a look at Steve's past. I saw way more than I wanted to. I saw his past sex memories, and I counted 4 of them.

"Valerie Chandler," I said letting go of the shake quickly. I didn't like this guy. He was just going to have sex with Nancy like the rest of the other girls. He was going to hurt her.

"So uh, I'm throwing a little party tomorrow night on the hush-hush. Parents are out of town for the weekend. Nance is gonna be there so you should come too."

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Nancy said to me with a big smile to convince me to go. "You and Barb have to come."

"Are you going too, Barbs?" I asked looking at Barbara. Her eyes went wide for a second as all eyes went on her.

"I...I don't know," she said with a heavy sigh. I could tell she didn't want to go.

"Oh c'mon, Barb. We'll all go together," Nancy said. Man, she really wanted to go to this party.

"I can't," I answered. "I'm grounded." That was just an excuse. Though I truly was grounded, it was the full moon tonight and my dad would be long gone from home. This was a chance to find Will with Jonathan.

"Grounded for what?" Nance and Barb asked at the same time.

"I...fought with my dad," I replied. "Gotta go home right after school." The bell rang at such a fortunate time, and Nance, Barb, and I left for English.

* * *

School was over and I bid goodbye to Nance and Barb. I started walking down the street to get home, but I stopped short and turned back. Dad wasn't going to be home, so he wouldn't know if I came back just a little late. I headed over to the student parking lot, and I saw Jonathan's car still there. I waited for a couple of minutes at his car, but he still didn't arrive. I thought something was up, so I walked off to look for him.

I walked towards the grassy field near the lot, and I saw him there with 2 guys in front of him. They were clearly bullying him, the way they were towering over Jonathan and the way Jonathan was looking down and away and not into their eyes.

I hesitated a moment, wanting to just be an observer for a moment. I got that trait from my dad. He was always cautious and wary of situations, always wanted to observe before taking action. My mother was the opposite. She was incredibly impulsive and headstrong especially when it came to a fight against both humans and demons.

I saw the bullies push Jonathan hard, and he staggered back helplessly. My mother's instincts kicked in. I walked as quickly as I could towards Jonathan trying to keep my backpack on my shoulders as best I could. "What's going on here?" I asked making my way next to Jonathan. He was shocked I was there and that I saw the whole thing.

"You his girlfriend?" one of the boys asked with a jeer. "Hate to break it to you, babe, but this one here isn't attracted to your female gender." The other boy snickered.

"Leave him alone," I demanded firmly.

"Oh ho, are you serious right now?" the other one asked. "You're sticking up for this _pussy_?"

"Bother him again, and you _will_ regret it," I threatened. I saw fear in their eyes when I spoke those words. They felt the sun go cold around them, and they tried to compose themselves. The boys looked at one another and jeered at me while walking quickly away. How I wished I could curse those two right at that spot. There were so many at my disposal, but I knew better than to get mingled with rats.

"What are you doing here?" Jonathan asked. I looked at him, and I could tell he was embarrassed that he couldn't stand up for himself. He was embarrassed and angry.

"I thought I'd try to help you find Will today. You know, if you weren't busy." He started walking off, and I followed. We walked back to his car silently, and we both got in.

"So, where should we go?" he asked still unable to look into my eyes.

"I was thinking my house. My dad won't be home tonight." Jonathan glanced at me and quickly looked away awkwardly. "Can you stay out for long tonight?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." Jonathan started up the engine and started driving to my house under my instructions. He parked in the driveway and we walked into the living room. I could see him admire all the decorations on my wall. Most of them were various religious artifacts, paintings, and decorations. "Wow," he uttered amazed at the sight.

"Want anything to eat or drink? I got tea, juice...booze if you want. But if you want that then you'll have to sleep over tonight. I don't want you drinking and driving."

"W-Water will be fine," Jonathan stuttered. I kinda wished he said booze. He slowly went his way to the couch and sat on it while I got ourselves some water. I made sure to drink Dr. Jekyll's medicine before heading back out to the living room. Jonathan was very quiet even when I gave him the water. I sat right next to him on the couch.

"So, tell me about your brother," I said to Jonathan sitting and facing him. He paused thinking about where to start as he looked down at his hands.

"He's...just a kid. A really good kid. He'd never hurt anyone, not even a fly. I...I thought all this time he was kidnapped...being tortured, murdered. And I asked myself why it happened to him. How could anyone be so cruel to hurt someone good like Will. But now that he's in...hell..." Jonathan paused and looked at me. "You say you believe in God. How could God do that to Will? Will didn't do anything to anyone, but He sent him to hell. How could He? Why is God making Will go through this?"

"I can't speak for God," I replied looking away. Maybe I did tell him too much too quickly. Maybe dad was right when he told me to shut my trap and not tell anyone anything about myself. "But I promise you, Jonathan, I will do everything in my power to help your brother."

"How? You said you don't know how to actually find him."

"Last time, I saw your brother in my dreams. I'll just...go to sleep and try to find him again. And we'll go on from there." Jonathan wasn't buying it but I needed him to. I really wanted him to believe me. "Will you stay?" He looked at me and my eyes were pleading for him to stay.

"Fine."

"Thanks, Jonathan," I said to him with a smile. I went to my dad's cabinet and took some sleeping pills. I popped in only two and then I went into my room. I grabbed my mother's tarot card, too curious about what role Jonathan would have in my life.

I brought the cards out and spread it in a semi-circle on the carpet. He sat in front of me on the floor and I looked into his eyes and said, "Pick a card. But you have to think about it. You have to mean it, alright?" Jonathan looked at me, and then looked back at the cards. He thought about which one to choose as he hovered his hand above the cards, and he picked one up near the middle. He flipped it over and his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. "What is it?" He showed me the card he chose, and it was "Lover".

It was just like my mother and father when he chose a card for the first time with her. That was one of the only memories my dad told me because that was a time before all the turmoil ensued their lives.

I couldn't help but smile, and he couldn't believe I was smiling. A smile came upon his face too. I cleaned up the tarot cards and lied down on the couch. "How long do you plan to stay?" I asked.

"However long it takes."

"What if it goes all night?"

"...then I'll be here all night." I looked at Jonathan and yawned with a smile.

"Thank you, Jonathan. You can turn on the TV if you'd like." He nodded with a small smile so I closed my eyes. I heard Jonathan sit back on the couch and turn on the TV while I drifted off to sleep.

 _I saw Jonathan's house, and lights were glowing on and off inside. I made my way into the house and saw Will jumping around, spelling things by using the Christmas lights. He was guiding his mother, talking to her about what was going on. "Will," I said. He jumped from fright not noticing me at first, but he immediately smiled when he saw me._

 _"It's you!" he cried out. He ran to me and we hugged. "Did you come back for your ring?"_

 _"Actually, I came here for you. Your brother wanted to talk to you."_

 _"Jonathan?" he asked with his eyes widening._

 _"Yeah. Here, hold my hands and just...talk." I held Will's hands, and he was shaking._

 _"Jonathan? Can you hear me?"_

Jonathan jumped from the couch. Will's voice just spoke through the air like a ghost. He looked around but couldn't see Will anywhere. "W-Will? W-Will is that...is that you?!"

 _"Yeah, it's me," Will cried out with tears streaming down his face. He sniffled and wiped his tears with his sleeve.  
_

"Oh my god," Jonathan cried out in tears. He couldn't believe he was hearing Will's voice. He looked at me sleeping on the couch and fell to his knees, looking at me. "Will...I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should've been home that night to help you. I shouldn't have worked that day. I'm so sorry, Will."

 _"It's not your fault," Will answered sniffling but trying to sound strong. "I'm glad you weren't home. The monster would've killed you if you were there."_

"Monster? What monster? Are you safe, Will? Are you okay?"

 _"I'm fine for now. This girl helped me run away before."_

"Valerie? She helped you?"

 _Will looked at me. He didn't catch my name yet, and I nodded. "Yeah, Valerie saved me."_

"Where are you? How can I help you?"

 _"I don't know where I am. It's...it's cold and scary." A roar echoed through the area, and Will started panicking. "Oh no, it's here."_

"What? What's there? The monster? Is it there?!"

 _"Listen, you need to hide, Will," I said to Will.  
_

 _"What about you?"_

 _"You know the routine," I answered with a smile. "Just stay low until I come back."_

 _"Do...you want your ring back?"_

 _"Not yet. Keep it for luck."_

 _"Please come back soon. I'll be waiting." I nodded and watched Will hide away. I ran out of the house and into the woods. The monster's roar sounded even louder, and I knew it was very near. I continued to run but made an unfortunate move. I ran right into the monster. I jumped back from fright, and quickly spat out spells and curses but it didn't work. Was it because I was in hell? Was it because I was in a dream? I tried to run away, but the monster's claws caught my back._

I awoke with a piercing scream, and Jonathan screamed and jumped back when he saw a monster appear before his very eyes from thin air standing right behind the couch. Cold sweat dripped down my face and I couldn't believe I was staring at the monster standing there inside my house. The lights were on, and we both could see clearly how ugly this monster really was. My back was in extreme pain and my shirt felt wet.

Jonathan and I staggered back as the monster watched us as if it was analyzing us. Jonathan held onto my arm, holding me close to him. I felt safe and protected near him even when facing against this monster. The monster roared, and I took a step forward. If we waited any longer, I was afraid it would fight us.

 _Etsi nüllaan an oge en Kailfernum troovea eksdamnaskek_ I spoke.

 _Etsi nüllaan an oge en Kailfernum troovea eksdamnaskek_ I took another step forward, and the monster roared.

 _Etsi nüllaan an oge en Kailfernum troovea eksdamnaskek_ I chanted louder and braver, staring right into the monster's face.

Jonathan watched this in shock. The monster roared once more and ran out of my house into the darkness of the night. I fell to my knees, considerably weak. I fell faint, and last thing I remembered before I fell unconscious was the howl of two wolves.

The blood loss had gotten to me. When the monster struck me in my dreams, it damaged my real body. I had 4 long claw marks across my back with blood gushing out. Jonathan ran to my side and panicked. He didn't even think about calling the police, not after everything he saw. He grabbed my arm and carried me on his back.

Jonathan walked out my house but fell on the porch. He dropped my body on the ground, and the full moon shone brightly. Jonathan was frantic and ran to my side, still hearing the wolves howling. He must've thought wolves were after us too. When he reached out to pull me up on his back again, he paused with his eyes locked on my back. He saw the gashes closing by itself as if sewing itself back together. The blood was still there but it stopped gushing out.

In just a matter of minutes, my body healed itself from any scratches entirely right before Jonathan's eyes. He sat there, eyes and mouth wide open in shock at the scene. It was this very night when Jonathan became a believer, when his entire world had flipped upside-down. It was this very night when both our lives paved the way for God's ultimate salvation for mankind all the while meaning the demise of us both.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Wake up, Valerie" a woman's soft voice, British accent, whispered in the air. "Wake up, my daughter." My eyes slowly fluttered open, and my back was aching. I groaned from the pain. My eyes widened when I saw myself in a world of pure darkness and the floor was made of some black water that somehow made this world look darker. I looked around, and there standing behind me was a fairly young woman. She had raven black hair like mine, and hers was put up in a messy bun. She had brooding eyes like mine; she looked just like me and I looked just like her. The woman smiled at me, and it made me feel warm inside. It felt like the kind of smile a mother would give her daughter. "My dear, sweet Valerie," the woman said with a big smile on her face. Tears were forming in her eyes.  
_

 _"Who are you?" I asked cautiously yet I knew the answer deep in my heart._

 _"I am your mother," she answered with tears rolling down, her smile quivering. "I have...so many questions and...I wish I had eternity to ask them all but frankly, there is not a lot of time." The woman wiped her tears and the smile disappeared from her face. It was serious. "A war is coming, daughter, and it will be a war the world has never seen before." I didn't answer, so my mother continued. "I suppose it all started because of the choices I made. You see, I was never supposed to live a happy life with your father. I was never supposed to have you; that wasn't my destiny. I knew it was never meant to be, yet I wanted it so very much. So much that I chose your father over God's plan for humanity."_

 _I couldn't reply. I was just frozen and listening.  
_

 _"Yes. I chose to live with your father instead of fighting for humanity's future. A fate that now seems to be one step closer in fulfilling the disastrous prophecies spoken by Apostle John." She meant Revelations. My heart pounded in my chest as my thoughts raced to the Beasts of the Earth and Sea. Could it be the end of the world? Was my mother really responsible for the destruction of the earth? "You must be careful of the beasts. You must kill them before they destroy everything." My mother took a moment to look at my face and tears rolled down her face again. She then took a step back and disappeared into black fog.  
_

My eyes shot open wide and I gasped loudly as if gasping for air. Jonathan jumped from fright, and I looked around to see where I was. I was sitting on my small bed, and he was sitting on a chair next to my bed. "You're awake," he stated.

I wanted to reply but couldn't. My mouth and tongue were dry. I slowly got up, and he quickly leaned in to help me. He grabbed my arm and put one hand behind my back as he helped me sit up in bed. "Thank you," I said weakly.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"The demon running away into the woods. And...my back!" I remembered the demon wounded my back so I touched it and felt scars on them but no fresh wounds. Jonathan looked at me as if waiting for an explanation too. Healing has only happened once in my life before this.

I was just beginning to take Dr. Jekyll's medication religiously at age 10. The first time I took it, I transformed into a wolf that very night. I ran out of the city of London to the nearby woods. I was young and immature, and I hunted down a baby cub. The mother bear tracked me down, and it attacked me. It hurt me badly, but dad and Uncle Kaet were there to help me kill the mother bear. They helped me out of the forest to a clear opening where the moon shone brightly. It was as if the moon's light provided the healing source. And it happened the same way this time too. It was because of the moon.

"So you got healing powers too now?" I looked at Jonathan and I smiled weakly. "Tell me the truth, Valerie. Are you a superhero?"

"No," I chuckled. I thought it was adorable how candid he was. "I'm not a hero." I looked at Jonathan and he looked back at me. We were both smiling at one another, and it warmed me. It made me feel the butterflies when I saw him smile at me like that, as if he was in love with me already after spending just a few days together. "So...I should get out of these bloody clothes." Jonathan realized what I meant, and he blushed madly.

"Y-y-yeah," he stuttered badly and got up. He lost his balance and nearly fell over trying to get to my door.

"Jonathan." He looked back but couldn't look in my eyes for more than 2 seconds so he looked down at the floor. "I...I'm scared and I don't want to be alone tonight. Do you think you can...stay over? Just for tonight?"

"Are you sure? Y-y-you want me to stay over?"

"Yeah. Please?" Jonathan finally looked into my eyes and saw my plead.

"...y-yeah. I'll stay," he answered with a nod. He then walked out to give me privacy and closed the door behind him. I slowly changed out of my bloody and torn up clothes and put on my bathrobe. I threw the clothes into the trash can because it was torn to the point where it was unable to be sewn back.

I left my room and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. I started up the hot water for the bath and took off my robe. I took a moment to look at the mirror behind me. I looked at my back and saw the multiple scars on them. As water slowly filled up the bath, I started humming a song my dad used to sing me all the time when I was little. My fingers lightly played with the surface of the water.

 _My romance, doesn't need to have a moon in the sky_  
 _My romance, doesn't need a blue lagoon standing by_  
 _No month of May, no twinkling stars_  
 _No hideaway, no soft guitar_

Jonathan was sitting on the couch in the living room when he heard the bath starting. A few seconds later, he heard me singing to myself. His ears perked as he was moved by my voice.

 _My romance doesn't need a castle rising in Spain_  
 _Or a dance to a constantly surprising refrain_  
 _All at once I can make my most fantastic dreams come true_  
 _My romance, doesn't need a thing but you_

Jonathan got up off the couch and started walking slowly and quietly down the hallway. My singing was getting louder and so was the sound of the running water. He was getting closer to the bathroom.

 _And wide awake, I can make my most fantastic dreams come true_

Jonathan saw me sitting on the edge of the bath with my back to the door. He took a closer look at the scars on my back. He saw 4 long claw marks that belonged to the monster from tonight, but there were other nasty scars from before. Jonathan's eyes followed the scars from my shoulders to my lower back. His mouth dropped slightly looking at my bare back and he felt guilty thinking I didn't know. But I knew. I could feel his eyes burning into my back, his desire creeping inside of him, curiosity and wonder filling his most inner thoughts and dreams.

I turned my head slightly to the left to see if I could catch a glimpse of Jonathan. It only made him jump and stay still like a statue. I couldn't help but smile to myself, and I stood up to reveal my entire naked body. I could only imagine what the sight made him act, feel, think, wonder. I climbed quietly into the bathtub making sure to only keep my back to Jonathan so that there was no frontal view.

 _My romance, doesn't need a thing but you  
_

I slowly started scrubbing my body, and I saw the blood dripping off my body mixing with the soap and water in the tub. I felt really tired, drained really. Going to the other world trying to help Will wasn't easy especially with the demon running around. And now that I knew what happens if it hurts me in my dreams...it scared me.

The feel of those claws running through my back. It was the worst physical pain I ever felt, like an extreme flogging. If I wasn't careful enough, I could die. The thought of death frightened me. I was too young and felt like there was so much more left for me to learn about. The mere thought of that terrifying monster sent shivers down my back, and I hurried and finished my bath.

I put on some decent clothes for bed and went back out to see what Jonathan was up to. He was just chilling on the couch and watching TV. "Hey," I said with a shy smile.

"Hey," he replied awkwardly. The image of my naked back flooded his mind the moment he saw me, and he tried his hardest to control his thoughts.

"You must be tired."

"Yeah, kinda."

"Come on. Let's go to sleep."

"T-t-together?!" It was cute seeing how innocent and pure Jonathan was.

"No, I have sleeping bags. Stay in the room with me." It wasn't a question but instead more of a passive demand. I walked back into my room and Jonathan followed behind. I gave him a sleeping bag from my closet, and he set it up right next to my bedside. I wished he could join me in bed and tried to think of something to say. All I could do was watch him set up the sleeping bag, and my heart beat fast.

It was raining hard, and lightning and thunder brewed in the storm. Thunder didn't frighten me, but the idea of the monster out in the woods frightened me. Its roar thundered in my ears, and its fangs and claws glistened under the moon and sparkled in the rain. The monster from my dreams was now prowling around in town, and I could only imagine what it was doing. "Jonathan?" I whispered wondering if he was sleeping. "Jonathan? Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he whispered back quietly.

"Are you tired?"

"Not really. You?"

"Not really...do you mind coming up here?" He looked at me from the ground and slowly sat up. Our eyes locked and he slowly made his way towards my bed. I was under the covers, and he lied down on top of the covers next to me. My back was to him, and I knew he was facing me on the bed. I looked back at Jonathan rather quickly, and he froze looking into my face. I tried lifting the blankets up to signal to him to get under the blankets. "Get under the blankets. You'll be cold all night." Jonathan scooted over to get under the blankets. I could feel his body heat warming my body up now and it made me want to get closer.

I scooted a little closer to Jonathan still looking at him, and he continued to look into my eyes. He lay there frozen like ice and I wanted to melt him. "You like music right?" I asked bluntly in a whisper.

"Depends what kind. Why?"

"My dad always tells me 'All sad people like poetry. Happy people like songs.' He's a poetry kind of guy...and so was my mom."

"What about you?"

"I'm more of a singer than a poet."

"Oh yeah? Sing a song then." I smiled sensing the challenge.

"Alright. This song was stuck in my head all night so don't laugh at me, okay?"

"I won't," he replied with a grin eager and waiting for me to sing. I looked up at the ceiling and started to sing.

 _My romance, doesn't need to have a moon in the sky_  
 _My romance, doesn't need a blue lagoon standing by_  
 _No month of May, no twinkling stars_  
 _No hideaway, no soft guitar_

 _My romance doesn't need a castle rising in Spain_  
 _Or a dance to a constantly surprising refrain_  
 _All at once I can make my most fantastic dreams come true_  
 _My romance, doesn't need a thing but you_

I looked back at Jonathan, and it made me happy seeing the way he was looking at me. It made me feel so wanted and loved. He probably had no idea how he looked, and I loved and cherished that moment with him."Alright. Your turn," I said to him.

"You want _me_ to sing?"

"Yeah. It's your turn now."

"Alright but you might regret it." I laughed and watched Jonathan getting ready to sing by clearing his throat. He looked up at the ceiling while it was my turn to look at him all goo-goo eyed.

 _My romance doesn't need a castle rising in Spain_  
 _Or a dance to a constantly surprising refrain_  
 _All at once I can make my most fantastic dreams come true_  
 _My romance, doesn't need a thing but you_

I couldn't help myself any longer. I tried hard to fight it at first when he was singing, but it got too hard. I wanted to go for it, and I wanted to be bold about it. I suppose I felt what Jonathan felt when he watched me singing. It was comfort, a reminder that a simple song can conjure up such warm feelings within. I was quiet for a while when Jonathan finished singing, and he looked at me for a response.

I scooted closer, and our breathing paced rapidly. I could feel his uneven breathing on my face and I'm sure he could feel mine on his. I moved in close and gave him a simple kiss on his lips. He was in shock and he couldn't move his lips. I moved away from the kiss and we looked into each other's eyes.

He cupped the back of my head in one hand to pull me in close for a rougher and more passionate kiss. Things moved very quickly and it felt so right. Jonathan awkwardly climbed on top of me and my arms wrapped around him to keep him close. I knew Jonathan was new to all this kissing and intimacy, so I helped him out.

I grabbed his hands and let it slide up and down my body. I let his hands touch my breasts and squeeze them. I moaned lightly under our kiss, and he moaned back from the sensation. I could feel his body tensing up and lust grew in both of us. I pushed Jonathan off of me and pinned him down to the bed. It must've come as a surprise, the look on his face showing it all. And I knew he liked it.

The moment I leaned down to kiss him again, I saw a vision. A terrible one at that, an omen you could say. There Jonathan was in a cemetery. He was on his knees in front of a gravestone crying and mourning. I never saw anyone cry like that before, but I knew it was because he lost a loved one.

I gasped and leaned back to let go of the kiss. Jonathan must've seen the worry in my eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked breathless.

"I...I saw you in a cemetery crying. You lost someone you loved."

"What?" I got off of Jonathan and sat on my bed. I put my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my knees. Jonathan sat up next to me and put his arm around me keeping me close to him. "Wanna tell me more about what you saw?"

"I think...I think I was dead."

"What makes you say that?"

"The very day I came back to Hawkins, the tarot cards showed me 'Death'. I think it's in God's plan for me to die after I've served my purpose. Kind of like...punishing my mom for her transgression."

"No," Jonathan said firmly. It surprised me. It was a first seeing him answer me aggressively. "I won't let you die. I won't let that happen."

"You can't promise me that."

"...no, I guess I can't. But I promise you that I will do everything I can to keep you alive. I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you alive, alright?" I looked in Jonathan's eyes, and he meant it. I knew he'd fight in the pits of hell if it meant keeping me safe from harm, and I appreciated his concern for me.

Most of all, I saw courage in Jonathan's eyes, the courage to do whatever it would take to help me and keep me alive. At first, I thought I could prepare for this holy war by just informing myself and expanding my knowledge about the other world. But I realized at this moment that it's not about being knowledgeable. It's also being courageous, being brave enough to do what's necessary to fulfill your mission. Jonathan's courage will prove to be his shining trait, a trait that would keep me alive a bit longer than originally expected.

Jonathan caressed my face gently with his fingers and I felt tears forming in my eyes. I hated when I got emotional like this and I definitely didn't want Jonathan to see me tearing up. I leaned in quickly to give him one last kiss goodnight, and he kissed me back. "Goodnight Jonathan," I whispered as I got back under the covers and turned my back to him. He went under the covers too and he held me close to his body.

"Goodnight, Valerie," Jonathan whispered back as he closed his eyes to go to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to the delicious smell of breakfast. I looked beside me and saw that Jonathan wasn't sleeping in bed. I left the room and saw Jonathan cooking in the kitchen. When he saw me, he smiled brightly and it made my stomach do all kinds of twists and turns. "Morning," he said with a big smile.

"Good morning," I replied with a shy smile. "Didn't know you could cook."

"I always cook at home. My uh...my mom comes home late a lot from work, so I make dinner for me and my brother." I helped set up the table, and we ate breakfast together. It was pretty good, better than anything I try to make which is why I don't make food often, rarely even. Eating and talking with Jonathan made me feel like he was already a big part of my life, like we've been friends forever and were on the verge of another blossoming relationship.

After breakfast, we got ready for school together. I gave him a spare toothbrush but he had to go in the same clothes from yesterday. Jonathan drove us to school and we parked in the student parking lot. We got out of his car together and some eyes were already on us whispering and gossiping, wondering why we were driving to school together. I glanced at Jonathan, and he just gave me a small smile as he locked the doors to his car. We entered school together and we stopped in the middle of the hallway because that was where we had to part ways to go to our separate lockers.

It was hard for us to part ways to go to our lockers, and it kind of felt like an awkward goodbye. "What are your plans for after school?" I asked not wanting Jonathan to leave my side.

"I don't know yet. What are yours?"

"I'm grounded. My dad was super angry when I came home late last time."

"So...you'll have to go home right after school then right?" I could hear the disappointment in Jonathan's voice.

"Yeah. But I'll see you at recess?"

"Aren't you gonna hang out with Nancy and Barbara?"

"Uh...well, you can hang out with us."

"I'm okay," Jonathan replied with a weak smile. He appreciated the gesture, I could tell. "I like to spend my recess and lunch alone anyways."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I wanted to spend all my free time with this guy, already heavily invested in him.

"Yeah. We can meet at my car after school for a bit and I'll drop you off at your house."

"Okay, sounds like a plan," I said with a smile so relieved that we'll be seeing each other again today.

* * *

At recess, I was waiting for Nance and Barb at the cafeteria, but Nance never showed up. Barb came later by herself. "Hey Barbs. Where's Nance?" I asked.

"I don't know. Probably hanging out with _Steve_ ," Barbara replied with disdain and rolling her eyes.

"You don't like Steve?" I asked stating the obvious.

"He sleeps with anyone that will open their legs to him. He's like a hungry horny dog."

"Ew." Barb chuckled at my terse response and I smiled back. "Hey, wanna hang out with Jonathan today?"

"Jonathan Byers?" Barbara asked with a big smile already having hear the gossip from the morning. "I heard you two came to school together in the morning. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. We just...he offered to drive me to school."

"But your houses are in the opposite sides of town. He didn't just _drive_ to you in the morning and offer a ride. Did you spend the night together?"

"We..."

"Oh my god, you did!" Barbara gasped and playfully shoved me. "God, first it was Nance and now it's you. Now you're both gonna ditch me for boys." I could tell she was serious about that statement and that was what was getting to her these days.

"What? No way, Barbs. Nothing happened between me and Jonathan, I swear. We just...we just kissed."

"What kinda kiss? Like...a friendly kiss or a kiss-kiss?"

"Kiss-kiss."

"Do you like him?"

"Yeah. He's...he's a really good guy."

"But he's so awkward, and he's always by himself." Barb said it playfully but meant what she said.

"Maybe that's why he needs friends like us, right?" I asked with a shrug. Barb smiled and shook her head.

"I'm glad you didn't change, Val. Honestly, when I heard you were back, I was a little scared. I thought that maybe you changed so much that I wouldn't be able to recognize you. But...you're still the same Val."

"Thanks, Barb," I replied with a warm smile.

"Come on, let's go find Byers then. But you talk to him first, okay?"

"Okay." Barbara and I walked around campus and finally saw Jonathan at the PE fields being bullied again by the two same boys. This time, I ran faster to his side anger flurrying about within me, and the boys continued to push Jonathan around even when I came. "Stop it!" I shouted angrily. Now they were getting me really angry. They didn't heed my first warning and must be taught a lesson.

"Oh, it's you again. Man, you must really like this freako huh?"

"I bet I can show you a better time than he ever can," the other boy said walking towards me with a creepy smile and making kissing noises.

"Back off!" Jonathan shouted aggressively. It shocked me having never before heard such a tone in Jonathan before. The two boys looked back at him, shocked that he finally stood up to them after all these years, all because they slandered my name.

"Oh, so you wanna act all tough now to show off to your little girlfriend huh?" the two boys shoved Jonathan harder, and he fell back on his bottom. I stood there glaring at the two boys, muttering a curse upon them both. Soon I heard the cackling of ravens flying closer. There must've been about 10 ravens flying my direction, and they all attacked the two boys with their beaks. The boys screamed and ran for life as the ravens followed them, torturing the two boys until they barricaded themselves inside a classroom. I then helped Jonathan up on his feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked worried for Jonathan's well-being.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied embarrassed that I had seen him weak and helpless against the bullies again.

"Hey, don't feel embarrassed," I said to him understanding how he felt. I felt the same sort of shame though under different circumstances. In London when my dad trained me in hand-to-hand combat, he'd constantly put me down with words and his overpowering strength. I learned how to deal with being pushed around and mocked at from him. "Why don't you hang out with me and Barb today?"

"Where's Nancy?"

"With Steve." Jonathan glanced at Barb and saw that she was harmless. He agreed so Jonathan, Barb, and I sat on the bleachers looking up at the clouds moving by quickly. I saw Jonathan playing around with his camera occasionally taking a picture or two. "You like taking pictures?"

"Yeah. It's uh...it's pretty fun."

"Why? All you do is press a button," I replied naively.

"No, it's more than that. It helps you capture honest moments of life. If you try to lie in front of the camera, you can tell and it'll get caught."

"Hey, take a picture of me." I fixed my hair lightly and smiled big for the camera. Jonathan took a picture, and he took one of me and Barb together. "Let's take a picture all 3 of us together," I suggested playfully. I was getting a thrill after taking those pictures and had a desire to take more pictures.

"Then I have to set up the timer and-"

"Then set up the timer," I replied cutting off Jonathan from saying anything else which meant do it my way. Jonathan set up the timer on his camera and we took a group picture together. I suppose thinking back to it now, God meant for us to take the picture together for that picture played a big role in the war to come.


	5. Chapter 5

After school, I quickly packed up and made my way to the student parking lot. I saw Jonathan already at his car, and we smiled seeing each other. I made my way to Jonathan with a big smile, and he tried hiding his but clearly couldn't. "Hey," I said casually.

"Hey," he replied back still shy.

"So what are your plans for tonight?"

"I uh...I was actually thinking about going to where Will's bike was found."

"In the woods?" I was worried he might run into the demon.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? To go alone?"

"Well, you're grounded, aren't you?"

"Yeah. But..."

"I don't want you to get in more trouble with your dad. I'll be fine, really." I sighed, not convinced at all.

"I think it's a bad idea, Jonathan."

"I gotta do something to find Will. Maybe I can find something back there that'll lead me to him." There was no convincing me and there was no convincing him. "You think it's a bad idea." I wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement.

"I think it's a terrible idea. Don't you ever watch horror movies? Never split the group, and never be alone."

"Yeah, well this isn't a horror movie."

"No, but it's just as scary because it's real life." I sighed knowing we weren't going anywhere with this conversation. "Are you still going to drop me off at home?"

"Yeah, sure." We got in his car and he drove off slowly. We drove in silence for a while as I stared out the window watching the scenery. I made Jonathan stop a block over because I didn't want my dad seeing me get out of a boy's car.

Jonathan and I sat in silence for a while, and I twirled my fingers not knowing what to say. "Okay, I uh...I guess I'll go," I said quite awkwardly. It was unusual for me to be so awkward and it made me feel strange.

"Okay," Jonathan replied just as awkward. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." I opened the door to his car but I hesitated a bit. I was about to leave when I thought about it. I leaned in to Jonathan and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He looked at me surprised as if we've never kissed before, and it brought a smile on my face. "Be careful, please."

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded and left Jonathan's car. I waved goodbye and he waited for me to walk back home. I looked back and saw he was still there, so I waved goodbye and walked into my house.

* * *

I sat on my bed and read through my mother's books trying to find anything on monsters or demons with no face. A knock came on my door and my dad peeked his head in. "Hey, dad," I said with a smile.

"Hi baby. Mind if I come in?"

"No, come in." My dad walked in and looked at the books I had on my desk and on my bed.

"What are you reading?"

"I'm trying to look up monsters or demons with no face."

"Monsters and demons with no face huh?" My dad looked through the books, and he sat next to me looking through the pages.

"Yeah. I...I saw a monster, dad." He looked at me and closed the book. "I've seen it in my dreams a couple times. A lot of times actually. Actually...pretty much almost every night."

"What kind of monster?"

"I don't know. It lives in a forest, but this world...it's not our world. It's like...it's dark, cold, dreadful..."

"Sounds like London." I snickered and my dad did too.

"No, dad. It's like this whole other world. And this monster...it's disgusting and ugly. It has no face, but it's freaking huge like...like a basketball player or something. And remember that kid, Will Byers?"

"Yeah. That missing kid you got grounded for."

"Yeah, well anyways, he's in this world. It's like it's real, but it's in my dreams. And the monster is hunting this kid down. I try to help him as best I can, but...I don't really know how to help him. I don't know what to do, dad. I wanna help this kid, but...I don't even know what I'm up against."

"You know, I've seen a lot of monsters in my life. But there's like...a whole other class of monsters when it comes to...the kind of world your mother comes from. I might not be the best help for you, but maybe she can."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's time to meet your mother."

"Dad...I saw her."

"What?"

"In my dreams. I talked with her and she told me to be careful of beasts. I didn't really know what she was talking about though but...I think she might've been talking about the beasts in Revelations."

"Then why don't you ask her yourself?" I looked at my dad surprised that he was talking about my mother for this long. Usually he ends the conversation quickly if it's about her, but this time was different.

"Are you gonna be okay with that dad?"

"Yeah. I think it's time you and your mother talked. If you need me, I'll be here." He gave me a kiss and hug.

"Thanks, dad. I love you," I said hugging him back.

"I love you too, Val." My dad left my room and I covered myself with my blanket. I lied down in bed and tried to go to sleep.

 _I was back in Sir Malcolm's chateau, and there my mother was standing on the bottom of the stairs. She smiled seeing me, and I smiled back. Even though I only met her once in my dreams, it felt like we knew each other from the very beginning. We walked up to her room to sit and talk, and we sat on the edge of her bed. "I'm glad you came back, Valerie."_

 _"So...this is real then, right? Like this isn't just in my dreams?"_

 _"It's as real as you believe it to be, daughter," she answered with a smile. I had to cut to the chase.  
_

 _"...mom...I need your help."_

 _"I know. You want to find that boy Will Byers."  
_

 _"Y-yeah. Can you help me?"_

 _"There's something I want to tell you, Valerie, about your father and I. I want to explain to you why I couldn't be there for you." I was quiet feeling a bit awkward. "You see, I was...I am no ordinary woman. God has blessed me with special gifts, the same gifts you have been blessed with as well. And your father...he loved me and I loved him dearly, with all my being I did. It was unconditional, and it knew no bounds. No matter how far apart we were, we loved each other till the very end. But I had a choice to make. It was your father or..."_

 _"Mankind." Uncle Kaet told me once when I was younger. I wanted to know why my mother wasn't there for me and my dad, and I was unreasonably mad at dad thinking he was to blame. It was the angriest I had ever seen Uncle Kaet, fuming red and screaming at me. He defended my father and mother, telling me that I had no idea what sacrifices they've made to keep the world safe from the ultimate evil for just a while longer.  
_

 _"Yes. I believe God wanted me to choose mankind, but...well, I suppose love can make one do crazy things."_

 _"Do you regret choosing dad?"_

 _"No, not even for a second. Till this very day, I love your father and long to be with you both as one family. But unfortunately, my costly decision has had tremendous repercussions. And I'm afraid it's now up to you."_

 _"What?"_

 _"My curse is now yours to bear. It is now you who will have to make a choice. I'm sorry, Valerie." My mother started tearing up. "It won't be an easy decision. I...I suppose you could say I was too weak to follow through with what God planned for me, and now I must pay the price. Walking on God's path is not easy. I learned that the hard way. And now...it is your turn to make your decision."  
_

 _"What decision?"_

 _"You will find out for yourself." My mother sighed and paused for a while. I kept silent. "You must go now, daughter. The wheels have been put into motion. The beasts will be there soon, and you must be well prepared to fight them."_

 _"The beasts you warned me about last time? What kinda beasts are they?"_

 _"It's time for you to wake up. Wake up!"_

"Wake up, Val!" my dad shouted at me. I jumped awake and heard my alarm going off. "You're going to be late for school if you don't get ready now." I groaned and got up. I got dressed as quickly as I could and made my way to school thinking about my dream with my mother. I wondered what repercussions my mother was facing having disobeyed God; I wondered what decision I was to make that seemed of the utmost importance to my mother; I wondered what the beasts were that my mother mentioned twice now. The moment I got to my locker, Nance ran after me with a worried look on her face.

"Val, we gotta talk," she said anxiously. I knew something really bad must have happened for her to be so jittery in a bad way.

"What happened?"

Nance started tearing up, frustrated. "I...I can't find Barb."

"What do you mean you can't find Barb?"

"I can't _find_ her. I...god I was such a bitch to her! I...I told Barb to go home by herself but we should've left together. I should've left with her."

"Wait a minute. You gotta tell me exactly what happened because I don't understand."

"I...(tears up) I just wanted to have a good time with Steve. And Barb...she wanted to go home. So I told her to go. And now I...I can't find her. She isn't at school, and...and I think something happened to her."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because...because I saw something last night. I saw...some kind of...monster."

"Monster?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" Nancy asked almost as if she were paranoid. "I swear, it was a monster, Val. It...it must have been."

"What did this monster look like?"

"It...it didn't have a face. And it was...it was huge. It was...a monster."

"Look, maybe Barb is home and not feeling well. I mean...she must've felt pretty bad when you told her to go, you know?"

"I know. God I'm so stupid! How could I just let her go by herself?" Nance started crying, and I pulled her aside so that no one would stare at us. This was a situation that needed to be handled very delicately and as quietly as possible.

"Calm down, Nance. Look, Barb will turn out, I know it. She's like the most responsible person we know, right?"

"Y-yeah...yeah, you're right. I think...I'm just thinking too much into it."

"Yeah, c'mon. Don't worry. She's probably at her parent's beach house letting off some steam or something."

"But...what if something _did_ happen to her? What if Barb is hurt and lost right now? What if she was kidnapped?" I knew Nance was terrified of something, and I thought she must've been terrified of what she saw last night, the monster she was talking about.

"Alright, so let's really think about it then. If something really did happen to Barb, then we have to retrace our steps from last night right?"

"We have to go back to Steve's house," Nance said already reading my mind.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "But I'm still grounded. My dad wants me home right after school." Of course I wanted to go with Nance to find Barb. It worried me seeing how anxious Nance was about this situation. But there were more dire matters at hand such as figuring out how to find and kill the no-faced monster before it starts hunting in the real world.

"Then I'll go by myself." Nance was determined to find Barb. It moved yet instilled a hint of fear in me. I was moved by how brave and undeterred Nance was to find Barb, but it reminded me that the monster of my dreams has now become reality literally. If Barb really was missing, then it must have been because of the monster Nance had seen at Steve's house. It all made sense.

"You sure you'll be okay doing this alone?"

"Yeah, I have to find Barb. It's my fault she's missing."

"No it's not, Nance."

"Yes, it is. I sent her home. I chose Steve over her." The bell rang and Nance walked off first still cursing at herself for leaving Barb all by herself last night.

* * *

After school, I saw authorities talking to Jonathan at his car in the parking lot. I could see he wasn't getting good news, so I walked over slowly to him and the officers. The officers noticed me approaching, and Jonathan looked back and saw me. He looked furious, and the sight of me just made his anger flare. He stormed over to me and said, "I thought you said Will was alive. You said you talked to him!"

"I-I did."

"They found his body. In the lake." Jonathan was shaking with anger, and it scared the hell out of me. I didn't know what to say to Jonathan so I made my way over to the officers.

"Officer, Will...he's dead?"

"Who are you?" the sheriff asked bluntly. He was a man who didn't like to beat around the bush.

"Valerie Chandler, sir. I'm Jonathan's friend. I was...trying to help him find Will."

"I couldn't help but hear the kid say that you talked to Will. Did you know where Will was?"

"No, it's...it's a complicated story."

"I have all day."

"Sir, if you don't mind, I want to...see Will." The sheriff agreed, so I hopped into the back of the police car while Jonathan drove his own car. The sheriff drove off while Jonathan followed from behind.

"You're new in town, aren't you?" the sheriff asked.

"Sort of. I lived here when I was younger, but I left for London a couple years and came back."

"What made you come back?"

"God." It went silent for a while. "Sir, I never got your name."

"Hopper. Town sheriff."

"Nice to meet you, sir."

"Yeah." We arrived in the woods and walked to the bridge where Will's body was found below in the river.

"No," Jonathan cried out. Paramedics were already there and they had a black bag on a wheelie. The bag was small for a child. Jonathan ran to the paramedics asking to see what's in the bag. The sheriff slowly made his way to Jonathan to comfort him.

The moment I saw Jonathan completely break down after being shown what was in the bag was the moment I knew this was my calling. God brought me back to Hawkins to destroy the monster, the beast that my mother was talking about. It was this monster, the beast. It made sense now.

My thoughts were disrupted quickly, and I felt a strong presence in the woods, a sort of familiar and warm yet strange presence. I looked out to the forest but couldn't see anything. I could only feel something there, something or someone powerful was there with us. I decided to take a look around, and I could feel the presence getting stronger heading west.

I followed my intuition and there I saw 3 boys and a girl watching what was going on. The 3 boys had their bikes, and the girl was sharing with one of the boys. That boy was yelling at her, asking why she said Will was alive when he's really dead. It struck a chord in me, and I knew something strange was going on. "Hey," I said to get their attention. They all jumped from fright, and they turned around and saw me. "What are you kids doing here?"

"Nothing," that boy said angrily and quickly rode off on his bike. The two other boys followed, leaving the girl behind. The girl had tears forming in her eyes as she stood there abandoned by a friend she trusted.

"Are you okay?" I asked the little girl. She didn't answer. She just stood there not knowing what to do next. "What's your name?" Still no answer. I approached her, and she glared at me. I looked right back at her with an even fiercer stare, and she slowly put her guard down. "I'm Valerie. You are?"

"El."

"Alright, El. Where do you live? Let's have the sheriff take you home."

"No!"

"Why not?" The little girl sprinted for it, and I chased after her. She looked back and threw her hand out as if trying to telekinetically throw me off balance, but it didn't work. It shocked her and she didn't notice the tree in front of her. She ran into the tree and fell on her back, her blonde wig falling off. I ran to her side and saw the girl had a shaved head, and she looked up at me with fear. I knelt down and looked at the little girl, and she looked back at me.

"Valerie," she said. "I...know you..."

"You do? From where?"

"...my...memories..."

"Come on," I said with a sigh. This girl needed to be helped. "Let's go back to the sheriff."

"No!" The little girl made a run for it again, and I let her go this time. It was odd our first encounter considering how intertwined our lives actually were in God's plan. I went back to the river and Jonathan was heading back to his car to follow the paramedics to the hospital. He noticed me but didn't acknowledge me at all. I knew he was still angry with me, but I really didn't know what to say or do.

I thought Will was alive, I really believed it. But seeing how Jonathan reacted to the body in the bag, it must've been Will's dead body. But it just made no sense. I talked to Will. Yes, it wasn't recent but still...did the monster get to him before I could? Was this because of the monster I brought into the world from my dreams?

I watched Jonathan drive away, and the sheriff made his way to me. "He'll need some time," the sheriff said referring to Jonathan. "His little brother is dead."

"No, I don't believe it," I stated firmly looking at the sheriff. "I know he's alive." The sheriff looked at me strangely and made a note to himself to ask me about my complicated story next time. He had to go tell Mrs. Byers about the condition of her second son.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days passed, and Jonathan missed a couple days of school. But today he finally came back. I saw him enter school, and people were staring at him, rumors about Will's death swirling the entire town. It was something everyone was talking about, and most of it was negative against the family. It felt terrible listening to the horrible conversations about how the blame goes on Mrs. Byers and Jonathan. They had no idea what was truly going on, how there was something much bigger at play than just the apparent death of a little boy.

Will's funeral was just yesterday, and I didn't go. I wasn't invited personally by Jonathan so I didn't dare go. He was still furious with me, and it hurt me a lot knowing he was so upset with me.

No one approached Jonathan, and he kept walking with his head down. When he saw me, his face distorted with fury. Jonathan made his way to his locker without talking or even looking at me. "Jonathan," I said almost exasperated. He didn't answer, and he opened his locker. "Jonathan, please talk to me."

"About what? About how you lied to me that Will was alive?! I saw his dead body. I...I identified it at the morgue..." Tears were forming in Jonathan's eyes and he was holding it back. "I have nothing to say to you anymore. Don't ever talk to me again." After quickly grabbing his things, he slammed his locker shut and stormed off. It was so unfair. Why was he blaming me? Will was still alive...or at least, I thought so. I hadn't seen him in my dreams for a while, and it started getting to me. Maybe he really is dead. Maybe that really is Will's dead body, and I was too late to save him. But then...he'd have my wolf ring, right?

"Hey Valerie," Steve said walking with Nance and his two friends Carol and Tommy. "What was that about with Byers?"

"Nothing." I could see that Nance was still bothered by Barb's disappearance by the way she was so anxious all the time. We talked after Nance tried looking for Barb. She told me she saw a picture of the monster in Jonathan's picture and that they were going to try to find the monster in the woods. I didn't say anything when she told me. I was afraid I'd cast a curse upon Nancy. I don't know why but Jonathan ignited a fire inside me, a fire that burned anyone in my path.

"Guy's got some anger issues, huh?" Tommy mocked.

"His little brother just died," I shot back angrily at Tommy even though we were complete strangers. "Have some sympathy."

"Hey, don't talk to my boyfriend like that," Carol said defending Tommy.

"Whatever," I mumbled and walked away from the group without another word. The entire day was a terrible mess. I couldn't concentrate on any of my work knowing Jonathan was furious with me. It was one of the worst days of my life, and it only got worse when I was called into the principal's office. The moment I opened the door to the principal's office, there was the principal, Dr. Clayton, Sheriff Hopper, and a woman I had never met before.

"Ah, Ms. Chandler. Come in," Dr. Clayton said. I stepped in and took a seat around the table with the principal, sheriff, and the lady. The sheriff looked at the principal so that she could excuse herself.

"Dr. Clayton, do you mind?" the sheriff asked.

"In _my_ office? Yes, I do mind, Hopper," she answered very firmly. It almost made me tense how stern the principal was even to the sheriff. She took no shit from anyone.

"Really, Dr. Please." It almost sounded like begging from the sheriff. It caught the lady and Dr. Clayton off guard.

"I'm afraid not, Hopper. This is my office. If you want to converse in here, it will be in my presence." The lady eyed the sheriff and he nodded. All 4 of us sat around Dr. Clayton's table looking at one another.

"You know what happened to Will Byers," he stated to me. "I...we want you to give a statement down at the station."

"Statement about what?" I asked confused at what he was getting at.

"Everything you know about Will Byers."

"...I don't know anything." That didn't convince anyone in the room, not even myself.

"Ms. Chandler," Dr. Clayton said looking at me. "Help the sheriff. Go down to the station after school and submit your statement with your father."

"I'm grounded. My dad wouldn't let me."

"I'm sure he will once he knows what's going on," the sheriff replied.

"Please," the lady said looking at me with pleading eyes. Her voice was familiar, and I looked into her sad eyes. "Please help me find closure for my boy." So this was Will and Jonathan's mom, Mrs. Byers. This was the lady talking to Will that one time I saw him in my dreams.

"Maybe it'll be better if we go now," I suggested.

"Are you sure about that?" Dr. Clayton asked.

"Yes." I needed more help. I knew I couldn't track down the monster myself, and I knew Mrs. Byers knew what was going on with the monster. I could see it in her eyes. The sheriff, Mrs. Byers, and I walked out of school and hopped into the sheriff's car. He drove off, and we drove in silence. He parked in a driveway at Jonathan's house and I was confused. "Why aren't we going to the station?"

"Because it's not safe to talk there," Hopper answered. "Let's go in the house." I stared at a curtain covering up the gigantic hole in the wall of Jonathan's house, and I could see the Christmas lights still inside. We entered Jonathan's house, and I took a moment to see the disheveled mess. The mess nearly represented how disheveled the Byers' life really was after Will's disappearance. It took a huge toll on the family for worse. Mrs. Byers sat down on her couch first, and I followed next. The sheriff sat on a chair right across from me to take a good look at me. "So, when was the last time you talked to Will?" he asked getting right into it.

"A couple days ago I guess. Maybe a week ago?"

"H-how did you talk to him?" Mrs. Byers asked.

"...if I tell you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try us," the sheriff answered seriously and leaned forward.

"...it was in my dreams. I tried to keep him safe from the monster with no face."

"I know the monster you're talking about," Mrs. Byers said believing every word I was saying.

"My mother told me to watch out for the beast, the monster. It must be destroyed, and I need your help."

"How?" the sheriff asked.

"I need to track the monster down. I have no idea how though."

"I know where it came from," he answered. I looked at him with disbelief. "I've been through...to the other side."

"What?" Now I really couldn't believe it. How could this man have gone to hell? "How can you be sure you were _there_?"

"It's a dark, cold, dreadful place. There's no light anywhere, and it feels like the darkness is never-ending." I couldn't believe it. That was my dream he was describing.

"How did you get there?" I asked.

"There's some kind of portal in Hawkins Lab that led me there. They got a lab in the basement where they keep it."

"So what's the plan?" Mrs. Byers asked looking at the sheriff.

"When I was there, I saw a picture. Stick figures and things like that, something a little kid would draw. I'm thinking that's where they're keeping Will."

"No, no that's not my Will. Look." Mrs. Byers went and got a drawing from the kitchen. She showed it to us, and it was a well-drawn picture not with stick figures. It was a drawing of a black snake looking right into your eyes through the paper. The drawing resonated with me. "That's what Will does."

"So the room must be for another child," I said connecting the dots. "El."

"El?" Mrs. Byers and the sheriff asked at the same time.

"This girl I met, young. She had a shaved head."

"Shaved head? Wait a minute, wait a minute. Benny mentioned a kid with a shaved head, couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl," the sheriff mumbled audibly.

"It has to be the same girl, right?" Mrs. Byers asked with hope.

"Very likely," I suggested."But the question is, who is this girl and why was she living in a lab?"

"Maybe she knows something about Will," Mrs. Byers said. "I mean, they're both the same age, right? Maybe...maybe they're doing some weird experiment over there on kids."

"First we gotta figure out who the missing girl is," the sheriff offered. "I still got the station at my disposal, so it looks like I've got a little bit of researching to do."

"I'll find a way to destroy this monster. I have my mother's books, but there's a ton of them."

"Your mother has books on what?" Mrs. Byers asked curious.

"On monsters," I answered truthfully. I looked at Mrs. Byers and held her hands firmly surprising her. "I promise, Mrs. Byers, I'll bring Will home." She started tearing up and quickly wiped the tears away with her sleeve.

"I'm going with you, Hopper," Mrs. Byers said bravely. "I'll help you find this girl."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. I won't be any help to Valerie here, so I'll go with you."

"Alright. Let's go then," the sheriff said looking at me and Mrs. Byers. We walked out of the Byer's house, and I looked at the two adults, strangers really. "Need a ride, kid?"

"I can walk back home. Thank you, sheriff," I answered.

"We'll keep in touch," the sheriff said and hopped back into his truck. Mrs. Byers walked towards me and looked in my eyes.

"Can you keep an eye on my oldest son, Jonathan?"

"He won't talk to me," I replied quite sadly. I'm sure she heard the tone in my voice. "He thinks I lied to him about Will being alive."

"Jonathan," she sighed loudly and shook her head. "He's always been kind of a hard-head. Just...please, don't tell him what's going on."

"You mean he doesn't know anything?"

"Nothing. I don't think he can take it right now. He's still mourning Will."

"He's stronger than you think."

"Just...please don't tell him where I am and what I'm doing."

"Alright," I answered with a nod. "Good luck with finding the girl, Mrs. Byers." Mrs. Byers went back into the sheriff's truck and they drove away. I ran back home as quickly as I could to make it on time. I pretended as if nothing had happened and locked myself in my room. I continued sifting through my mother's collection of books. I ended up with a book on ancient Egypt religion specifically about Amun-Ra and Amunet. I knew in my heart that this was it, this was the answer I was looking for. I opened the book and started reading an excerpt.

 _Amunet was the consort of Amun-Ra, one of the great gods._

I lied down on my bed holding onto that book and thinking about everything I just read. I closed my eyes and fell asleep to dream, hoping to find either my mother or Will in that other world.

 _He was the first 'Hidden One.' The original serpent prince. So named not for any particular reptilian qualities, but for the power of rebirth; like a snake shedding it's skin._

I was there again in that world, in the same forest. I walked through quietly, and it was eerily silent. As I kept walking, a shriek sounded in the distance. "Nance?" I could hear someone shouting her name.

"Jonathan!" Nancy shouted back. I made a run for it towards the sounds, and there I saw Nancy hiding behind a tree breathing rapidly. I could hear Jonathan's voice clearly calling out for Nancy. And there, sniffing for her was the monster.

 _Everlasting, perpetual life... sustained by feeding on the souls of others._

"I won't let you hurt Nancy," I grumbled to myself as I made my way towards her and the monster. She was shocked seeing me here in this other world with her.

"Val?" she asked in disbelief. Jonathan froze hearing Nance's voice whisper my name. "Val? Is that you?"

"Valerie?" Jonathan asked. I could hear him say my name, and it made my heart jump.

 _Amunet and Amun-Ra never appeared in the same incantation. It is inconceivable in Pharaonic Religion to conjoin them, their narratives are kept completely separate..._

"Hide, Val. Hide now," Nancy pleaded me. I walked boldly past Nancy and she gasped in shock. She watched me make my way towards the monster who was now staring right at me on all 4's, snarling like an animal. "Val, what are you doing?" Jonathan's heart pounded hearing Nancy shouting this.

"Valerie!" he shouted as if pleading me to not do anything unwise.

 _Because if they ever came together, Amunet would become the mother of evil._

I continued to walk towards the monster and Nancy started shouting at me. "Val, come back! Val!" Not being able to see what I was doing made Jonathan go crazy, but he knew I was doing something stupid. He frantically tried to search for me and Nancy, but all he could find was her backpack near a tree.

"Run, Nance," I shouted right back. "Go now. Trust me, I'll be fine."

"Val, don't be stupid!"

"I said go!"

 _All light would end, the world would live in darkness._

Nancy hesitated but made a run for it away from me and the monster. She gasped seeing a portal on a tree a distance away. It was slowly closing, and she ran even faster. "Jonathan!" she shouted as she ran.

I started chanting in Verbis Diablis, trying to summon the monster away.

 _The hidden ones would emerge and rule._

The monster shrieked and backed up as I walked forward. I didn't dare break my stare and continued to chant my spell without a flinch.

 _Amunet-Amun-Ra conjoined. This is a spell foretelling the annihilation of man and the coming of the beast_.

I stopped chanting the moment I heard a distant echo of a girl's voice speaking in Verbis Diablis. It sounded like a chant I had never heard before. I listened carefully to the chant, and the monster shrieked loudly then suddenly collapsed, dead. The voices stopped, and I woke up in a cold sweat. My alarm was sounding off, and I turned it off. My head was pounding after the intense dream. I wondered to myself who was speaking the language of the devil. All I knew was that it managed to kill the monster, and I needed to look that spell up.

I quickly got ready for school, and I walked alone in the rain. It was pouring cats and dogs, odd because there was no news of a storm. The moment I stepped in school I could feel something was different. There was a strange aura in the school, such strong emotions sparked.

I could see from the entrance of the school that people were surrounding Nancy's locker. Before I could make my way there to see what was going on, I felt a pang in my chest. It knocked the breath out of me and I couldn't breathe for a couple of seconds. I gasped for air and tried to compose myself quickly. There was a strong presence drawing near me and I felt a bit faint.

I looked around and my eyes stopped at someone I thought I'd never see again. "Barb?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Barb? Is that you?" I couldn't believe it. I thought Barb was missing because maybe the monster got to her, but she was fine. She was standing right in front of me. Though...she didn't look quite the same, and I wasn't talking about the absence of her glasses. She had a certain...air about her that was different than before. Before she was bubbly, glowing, and...well she was quite a bright and radiating character. Now...something seemed...tense and...misleading. It wasn't right, it didn't feel right at all. But my eyes weren't deceiving me. I was looking at Barb, the same old Barb.

"Hey Val," Barb smiled. She went in for a hug, and it made me feel queasy. I nearly lost my balance. "Are you okay, Val?" Barb chuckled when she saw me woozy. "Geez, I have quite the effect on you huh?"

"Y-yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just...I thought you were missing, Barb. Where were you this whole time?"

"Well, notice anything different about me?" she asked with an even bigger smile.

"Yeah, you're not wearing your glasses."

"Tada! I went to get this new procedure for my eyes called Lasik surgery. They use laser to slice...well...you don't need to know the details."

"Really? You got this laser surgery?" Something just didn't feel right. I didn't believe her story at first.

"Yeah. I just got tired of wearing my glasses, you know? It was just an annoyance, but now I feel so free without them."

"Yeah...yeah, sure." I smiled back weakly, not knowing whether to be wary or happy that Barb was back. "Hey, so what's all that commotion over there?" I remembered that I wanted to go see Nancy to talk to her about what she and Jonathan were doing in the forest last night. Barb and I walked together towards Nancy's locker, and I saw "Nancy the Slut Wheeler" written all over Nancy's locker with "Byers is a perv" next to it.

I wondered what the hell was going on. Nancy a slut? Jonathan a perv? I didn't understand why that was being written. "Did you hear?" Steve asked walking up to me to strike this conversation. "Nancy and Jonathan slept together."

"What?!" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't believe what Steve was saying.

"Yeah. I saw them with my own eyes. And...and I couldn't believe it either." I looked up at Steve seeing he was hit real hard by Nancy's betrayal. He really liked her, and it surprised me. I thought he was just a dick this entire time, but he truly cared for Nance. "I saw them together in her room, on her bed. He had his..." He clenched his fist just thinking about it. "He had his arm around her shoulder. That goddamn..." Steve tried holding in his anger the best he could.

"How did you see all this?"

"I climbed up to her window. I always do, I've done it many times before. I trusted Nancy, and I'm sure you trusted Byers." I didn't answer, confused. "They betrayed us, Valerie. They're cheaters, liars, fakers!" I couldn't stand there listening to this anymore. I needed to find out if it was true immediately.

I stormed away leaving both Barb and Steve behind. I searched the campus to find Jonathan and Nancy, and I saw them in the parking lot together. They were walking together, and I assumed they came together in his car from the way they were walking close. I walked slowly towards the two, anger boiling inside of me, rage about to burst open. Looking back on this day, I wish I could've held my anger better. I wish I didn't believe in nonsense and just trusted in Jonathan. Never once had he betrayed me, and he certainly didn't this time with Nancy.

"Did you two come to school together?" I asked rather abruptly and angrily.

"Val, thank god you're here. We need to talk," Nance said ignoring my question. I knew she wanted to talk about what I was doing in the other world.

"Answer my question," I demanded sternly. Nancy and Jonathan were caught off guard never having seen me this angry before. It worried them both. "Did you two come to school together?"

"Yeah, Jonathan spent the night. Look, we have to talk about-"

"So it's true. You two slept together."

"What?" Nancy asked in disbelief at my accusation.

"I can't believe you two. How...how could you? You, Nancy. I thought you were my best friend!"

"Are you kidding right now, Val? We have more serious issues than Jonathan spending the night at my house," Nance replied. She couldn't believe I was hung up on what she and Jonathan did last night when she wanted to talk about what I was doing in the other world.

"No, screw you, Nancy."

"Val!" Nancy shouted offended.

"Valerie, are you hearing yourself?" Jonathan said trying to defend Nancy. That only made things much worse than it was already. "Nancy and I didn't sleep together."

"So there's the slut and the perv." I heard Steve behind me, and I saw him walking towards us with Carol and Tommy. "Didn't think a sleaze like you'd be able to get a girl, but guess you got yourself a whore."

"Steve!" Nancy shouted hurt by his words. Tears were forming in her eyes, and it actually made me feel good seeing Nancy hurt. Barb watched everything from a distance.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it. You betrayed me, Nancy. I thought what we had was real, but you played me."

"Steve, it's not like that."

"We didn't sleep together!" Jonathan shouted furious. A group of people surrounded us after hearing our shouting.

"Shut up, you perv. You know what? I should've seen it coming from you. Your whole family is goddamn crazy. You, your crazy mom, your dead-beat dad, your dead brother. Yeah, it's probably a good thing that your brother's dead so he doesn't have to live with you and your crazy-"

Steve was going too far with his insults, and Jonathan quickly turned around and punched him right in the nose. Steve went falling to the ground, and Jonathan was on top of him punching him in the face non-stop. Nancy shouted for Jonathan and Steve to stop fighting, but I stood there watching Jonathan spill Steve's blood. I watched him completely pummel Steve, and my body felt heavy. There it was again, that presence. But it was stronger this time as if it was hungry. I felt woozy again, and I almost lost my balance. Nancy was too busy shouting at Jonathan to stop hurting Steve.

I looked around to see who was having this effect on me when my eyes landed on Jonathan. My anger flared once more, and I knew I could take him down with just a mutter, a little enchantment in Verbis Diablo, and I could make Jonathan fall on his knees. I was so tempted to. It was nearly impulsive that evil, vindictive desire. The curse was at the tip of my tongue but a voice spoke to me. It was my mother there to remind me the consequence of speaking the foul language. "Let this language not become easy in your mouth, or soon it will not be your mouth, but His," she spoke to me.

The teachers caught along with the fight and they separated Jonathan and Steve. Steve was barely conscious and Jonathan was trembling with adrenaline. They were both taken to the nurse's office separately, and Nance followed them worried for Steve. I stood there, my wrath becoming exacerbated by the minute just looking at Nancy and Jonathan. "Are you okay?" Barb asked standing by my side.

"No," I confessed to my best friend. "Jonathan betrayed me. I thought...I thought he liked me."

"That's boys for you, Val," Barb said putting her arm around my shoulder comfortingly. "They'll screw anything that'll open their legs to them. I just thought Nancy would know better than to sleep with her best friend's crush." Barb was adding fuel to the fire, but I was oblivious to it.

"Nancy...that bitch...screw her," I fumed.

"Yeah, screw her. You don't need a friend like her. You have me, your best friend." I looked at Barb and she smiled at me. The glow was back in Barb's face, and I fell for her words. She persuaded me so easily especially since I was already emotionally crippled.

"Thanks, Barb." I hugged her and did my best to hold back my tears. "You're my best friend."

"Of course, Val. Nance doesn't deserve a friend like you. Let her be the slut that she is, and you'll find a much better guy than Byers." And for nearly a whole week, I didn't talk to either Jonathan or Nancy. Nancy tried talking to me again but I refused to listen to her till the very end. It was just me and Barb as the dynamic duo. I abandoned both Nancy and Jonathan completely, never once looking in their direction or even speaking to them about how I found Nancy in the other world. I completely shut off from the world, and Barb was my only friend and confidante.

The sheriff and Mrs. Byers didn't come back from their research yet, so I was left to stay in Hawkins in my own misery. I didn't even try looking for ways to kill the monster anymore. Now I started to find ways to become even more powerful with my sorcery, training even harder with my nose stuck in my mother's books. My anger not only grew along with my hatred for Nancy and Jonathan, but it started affecting my character and the people I loved.

I had become more irritable, more impulsive and angry with everyone including my dad. It was a dark time in my life to be controlled by the dark side of human nature. One night, my dad and I were eating dinner at home. He obviously noticed the sudden and rapid deterioration of my personality, and he was worried. "Val, has something been bothering you lately?"

"No," I replied tersely.

"You sure? Something seems like its on your mind."

"I'm fine, dad," I said irritated already. My dad looked at me, taken aback by my sudden sour attitude. He didn't like it one bit.

"How much of Dr. Jekyll's medicine do you have left?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"...why don't you want me transforming into a wolf?" I asked my dad bluntly. That question was always in the back of my mind, but only now did it slip out my tongue. "Why do you let yourself transform but you won't let me? Is there something wrong with me?"

"It's dangerous. You know that."

"But you do it. And so does Uncle Kaet."

"Because we know how to control our emotions. You clearly don't," he replied firmly. I didn't flinch. I just stared him in the eyes and he looked me back.

"Well screw your medicine, dad!" I threw the blue bottle of Dr. Jekyll's formula onto the floor, spilling everything on the rug.

"Val!" My dad was super pissed at me, but I didn't care. I quickly ran out of the house with hundreds of thoughts racing in my head, and I ran into the forest. I ran and ran in the dark forest until I couldn't anymore. I collapsed to the ground after I was totally out of breath, and I looked up at the night sky. It wasn't even a full moon tonight. But I felt the pain surging through my bones, the same pain I felt last time I transformed.

My body distorted, and the sound of my bones cracking and rearranging themselves echoed through the trees. I screamed in pain, shouting my lungs out. Fangs and claws grew and sharpened, I fell on all 4's, and raven black fur grew on my skin. My screams turned into howls, and it pierced the silent night. I transformed into a raven-furred wolf, and I ran through the woods alone.

I had no direction, I had no sense of where I was going. All I wanted to do was to calm this blood-thirsting rage I had inside of me. I ran and ran until I came upon a grizzly bear getting ready to go to its cave to sleep. The bear groaned in confusion at my aggression, and I growled showing my sharp fangs. I wanted to kill, and the bear knew it. It growled at me, preparing for a fight.

I lunged at the bear with my jaw wide open for a big bite. The bear smacked its arm in my face and I flung to the ground. I quickly got back up and circled around the bear quickly. It followed me in circles and it got dizzy. I lunged again at the bear and took a shot at its hind leg. The bear roared angrily and smacked me away again. I shook my head trying to get the dizziness to stop. The bear ran and limped towards me roaring for a fight, and I dodged the attack. I took a bite out of the bear's arm and quickly let go, making sure to avoid its good arm.

I could taste the blood on my tongue, and it gave me such a jolt that it made me want more. I needed to taste more blood. The bear was already weak as is, so I didn't waste any time toying with it. I went in for the death blow, and I bit into the back of its neck. The bear roared in pain but it fell down on its stomach. It was still breathing, and I let go of its neck. The bear was dying slowly, and my sanity kicked in for a moment. I saw what kind of misery the bear was going through, and it got to me. I wanted to put it out of its suffering, so I killed the bear with one strong crush of my jaws on its neck. I snapped its spine and killed it immediately. I left the bear there and went on my way wandering all night.

I roamed through the forest, and it was finally the break of dawn. I only had a couple of hours left before sunrise which was when I transform back. As I was strolling along, I sniffed something interesting in the air, and I followed my nose. I came upon a familiar girl, someone the sheriff and Mrs. Byers was trying to look for.

There El was with her blonde wig in her hands. She looked dirty, as if she didn't have a proper shower in days, and she was all alone. I trotted up to El still a wolf, and she stared at me. She was afraid at first watching a raven-furred wolf trotting towards her so casually. She stood there frozen watching my every move. It was strange this feeling I had. The anger in me slowly disappeared looking at this poor, dirty girl. It was as if she brought out a light in me, something that only a loved one could do to another.

El reached her hand out and touched my wet nose, and I licked her hand. She smiled and giggled, ticklish. She petted my head, and I stood tall by her side. We walked through the forest together, and we heard boys in the distance. El led the way and I followed. When we came upon a clearing, we saw Mike with Dustin and two bullies. I didn't recognize Mike was Nancy's baby brother because of how much he grew up, but I did remember that he was the boy I saw at the lake where Will died.

Mike ran and jumped off the edge of the cliff, and El walked forward with her hand out. She telekinetically brought Mike back up to the cliff and set him down. I trotted out and stood next to El, growling at the two bullies to intimidate them. "What the hell, man?!" they shouted seeing El and me, a full grown wolf by her side ready to defend her at all costs. One of the boys pissed his pants and they both ran away from fright at the sight of me.

El fell down, faint from using her powers. Her nose was bleeding. Mike and Dustin ran to her side and I trotted away disappearing into the trees silently. The boys didn't dare go after me knowing that they should never chase down a wolf. They were thankful I left them alone, and I saw the two boys and El hug all together. The scene struck a chord in me. They were the best of friends, and it reminded me of Nancy and Jonathan.

My bones cracked, and I howled in pain as my body transformed once more. The sun was completely up. I howled and screamed in pain, and I opened my eyes to see my hands with no fur. I was human again, and I was in my clothes from last night. I slowly made my way back home, trying to think of what to say to my dad after what I did last night.

I was completely disheveled, and I knew people were looking at me on the streets but I didn't care. I made it all the way to my house. I entered and saw my dad sitting on the couch waiting for me all night. I felt terrible about what I said and did to him last night. I knew anger was eating away at me, but this was the first time I've come to realize that I needed to change. I needed to turn to God once more to bring peace back into my life.

I burst into tears and hobbled over to my dad. He stood up, and I collapsed in his embrace, crying in his chest. "I'm so sorry, daddy," I sobbed. "I'm so sorry for everything."

"Sh. It's okay, Val," my dad said comforting me in his strong embrace. "You're okay now."

"No I'm not, daddy. I'm...I'm just so angry all the time. And I don't know how to feel better. I don't want to be angry anymore."

"Pray to God, Val. That's how you'll feel better. Pray and ask for forgiveness." I looked up at my dad and knew that was the only way. It's how I was raised since birth. I nodded and my dad gave me a kiss on my forehead. "I'll be here when you're ready to talk."

"Thanks dad. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Val." I let go of my dad's embrace and locked myself in my room. I looked up at the cross above my bed and fell on my knees. I clasped my hands together and shut my eyes. I started out with my daily prayers in Latin, praying intensely after not having prayed for nearly a week, ever since the betrayal, ever since my anger started consuming my every being. I prayed and prayed for hours until I fell asleep on the floor...

 _I was in the other world, and there was a small tent made out of sticks in the middle of the forest. I entered the wooden tent and saw Will lying there shivering from cold. He was pale and gaunt, and I couldn't tell if he was sleeping or if he was dead. I knelt down to Will and saw him wearing my wolf ring on his left thumb. "Will," I whispered quietly. I felt so guilty. This whole time I was supposed to find Will to bring him back home, but I was so consumed by my anger that I totally forgot about him. I left him in this world to fend for himself against inconceivable monsters. "Will, it's me, Valerie. Wake up, Will."_

 _Will opened his eyes weakly and looked up at me. "Val," he whispered weakly. "You came back."  
_

 _"I'm here, Will," I answered tears forming in my eyes. He was waiting for me this whole time, and I betrayed Will. I should've been looking for him this whole time and I felt so guilty. I picked Will up in my arms and let him rest in my embrace. I held him tight like a mother would to her son, and he was breathing slowly and heavily. "I'm here."_

 _"Please...don't leave me."_

 _"I won't."_

 _"You're...so warm. It reminds me...of my mom..."_

 _"You'll get back home, Will. Don't worry about that." The monster roared in the distance, and Will was too weak to react but I knew he was terrified. "I'll protect you, Will." Will didn't answer and just lied in my arms. I heard footsteps approaching, but it didn't sound like a monster._

 _El popped in through the tent, and I was surprised to see her. "It's you again," El said to me. "Valerie."_

"Val?" Nance asked. Nancy, Jonathan, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Hopper, and Mrs. Byers were all in the school gym with El trying to get her to contact Will. Jonathan turned tense hearing my name.

 _"What are you doing here?" I asked her._

 _"Will," she replied. She knelt down next to him and looked at his face._

"Sweetheart, can you hear me?" Mrs. Byers asked.

 _I could hear her voice echoing through the air. "It's me, Mrs. Byers. Valerie."_

"Val, how is Will?"

 _"He's alive, but he's weak. We need to get him out of here soon."_

"Oh god, thank god he's okay. Alright, alright uh...we'll have to get into Hawkins Lab then," Mrs. Byers said to the sheriff. He agreed, and he and Mrs. Byers went off to the lab in the middle of the forest.

 _"El, stay here with Will for a bit." El sat beside Will as I put him down gently back on the floor. My hands brushed over El's hands, and I saw a terrible vision. I saw Jonathan in his house fighting against the monster with a bat covered in nails. He was there with Nancy and Steve, and the monster was overpowering the 3 of them._

 _I gasped seeing that vision, and El looked at me having seen the same thing. "Go. I will stay with Will," she said to me._

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _"Yes. I can take care of him. Go and help your friends." I nodded and left the wooden tent to wake up and go back to reality. I needed to save Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve from the monster. There was no way I could let them die no matter how angry I was with Jonathan and Nancy. Honestly, after having seen Will, my anger died down. My mind was partially cleared from all that darkness I had in my heart. Seeing Will made me remember that there were bigger things than a petty love quarrel, that there were supernatural forces and entities of evil I had to face for a reason I did not know just yet.  
_


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up in my bed and jumped out. I needed to save Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve from the beast. There was no way they were properly equipped to handle such a battle. Only the language of the devil would be able to drive the monster away. I rushed out of my room, and my dad jumped from my sudden reaction. "Whoa, where you going, kiddo?" he asked as he saw me racing for the front door.

"I gotta go, dad. Jonathan needs my help."

"Wait!" I couldn't. There was just no time to wait around and explain to my dad what was going on. I ran out the door and ran as fast as I could towards Jonathan's house on foot. I saw Jonathan's car and another car parked in his driveway. I assumed it was Steve's. There was a loud commotion in the house and a flash of fire.

I busted through the front door and saw the monster there facing up against Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve. Jonathan was burning the monster with a contraption he made with a lighter and can of gas, but I knew that wasn't going to work. The beasts of hell lived in fire all their lives.

 _Itsi sist. Eksleebire. Ye non hun wesrat horri. Emi non khur uu reshtoeth muirepmi terprai Yesun Khriiston._

It was a prayer in Verbis Diablo to drive away dark creatures by reaffirming my own faith. "Val?!" Jonathan couldn't believe seeing me there having burst through the front door. The monster roared angrily at me, and I took a step forward. Jonathan stopped torching the monster, and the 3 stared at what I was doing. I glared up at the monster, keeping my eyes on it without a blink.

 _Itsi sist. Eksleebire. Ye non hun wesrat horri. Emi non khur uu reshtoeth muirepmi terprai Yesun Khriiston._

It was working. The monster cowered in fear after my enchantment, but a girl's voice echoed through the air as if speaking from the other world. It was the same voice from my dream, and it gave me chills in a bad way.

 _Emi winokre Nebratron em hemitus eni nüllaan, ratsni etsai hemitusi enis: itsi yenvagreni wesrat hor fensteru em tekhes. Itsi yenvagreni wesrat an sha'ami entsai khedekareb._

I knew what the voice was saying. I call up the Master to serve me now, as I will serve him in turn, give me the power over the beasts of the field. Give me the power to make them kill.

I knew I'd be screwed if the rest of the incantation was chanted. Whoever this was, she was trying to control the monster to kill us. I had no other choice. I continued my prayer in Verbis Diablo, shouting louder but the voice continued to speak and finish its curse.

 _Etsoo lipieem adzigrosen. Etsoon kaamplen sha'am tweraam. Itsi yenvagreni wesrat an sha'ami entsai khedekareb._

The monster turned to look at me, and it snarled as if it was a predator that just found its prey. I backed up, afraid it was going to kill me. "Holy shit, it's gonna kill her!" Steve shouted. I thought the same thing in my head. The monster quickly swung its arm and knocked me hard into the wall.

"Val!" my friends shouted. I groaned in pain and I could barely move my body. Being thrown across the room into the wall was one of the worst pains I ever had. .

The monster slowly made its way towards me as if ready to toy with me, knowing it had my life in its hands. Jonathan grabbed the nailed bat from Steve's hands and ran towards the monster, bashing it as hard as he could. The monster roared in pain and looked back at Jonathan. He swung the bat again, but the monster dodged it. He took another swing, and it was easily dodged again.

"Jonathan!" Nancy shouted.

 _Etsi wesrat khedekareb emi._

I stood up and resorted to exorcism, hoping that maybe that would send the dark creature away.

 _Emi nebratronak nüllaan. Maa'._

The monster looked back to me, and Jonathan took this moment to bash it again. The monster fell down, and he continued to bash it like there was no tomorrow.

 _Etsi an nat ashgagna non dünasse. Itsi maa' ebdee nüllaan!_

The monster roared loudly and it started disintegrating into ash and dust.

 _Emi nebratronak!_

The monster disappeared into thin air, and all that was left was black ash in its place. I felt something stir inside me, a sort of...beast that was born in me. The words of the devil was spoken too much in one night and in one setting. It was what my mother warned me about. I was afraid he was now in control of my tongue.

"Val?" Jonathan asked noticing how still I was. I turned to him, and I realized just how much I missed him. It was strange. I barely knew him but it felt like I've known him.

"Jonathan," my voice nearly cracked from the emotions stirring. I didn't know why but I felt this invisible attraction between us, and it felt like we were meant for each other. "I'm so sorry for being horrible to you."

Jonathan quickly hugged me tight and it surprised me. I was caught off guard, but I hugged him back hard not wanting to let go. My heart pounded in my chest and I wished this moment would last forever.

A roar echoed outside, and we all looked towards the sound. I let go of Jonathan, and we all rushed out of the house. Another roar sounded, and it was coming from the forest. "W-What are you gonna do?" Steve asked.

I looked at Jonathan and he looked at me. He was waiting for my answer, willing to do whatever I was going to do. "We have to kill the beast," I replied looking back to Steve and Nancy. She nodded, agreeing with me. We all ran into the woods, and it wasn't too far up ahead when we saw Barb standing there in a clearing. "Val," she said with a casual smile. "Didn't think it'd have to end this way."

"What are you talking about?" I asked standing my ground. I was up front, Jonathan behind me holding onto the nailed bat, and Nancy and Steve behind him.

"The Master wants you, Val. He wants you now, and I'm going to deliver you to Him."

"The Master?" Steve asked aloud.

"Ah, and you brought an audience with you," Barb said with a smile looking at Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan.

"You're not Barb, are you?" Nancy asked.

"Oh, little Nancy. Just a simple-minded human. You'll never understand the bigger picture. You're living in the 'now' when you should be thinking about the future. I mean, you didn't think about the consequence when you decided to spend the night with Jonathan, did you?"

"Who the hell are you?" Jonathan shouted to Barb clutching the nailed bat for his life.

"Brave one, isn't he? Too bad you two are just not meant to be, Val. You belong to the Master, and you know it. You and your mother both belong to the Master."

"Leave my mother out of this," I demanded. "You don't know her."

"Oh, no, no," Barb said with a laugh. "I know her _very_ well. In fact, she's the reason why all this shit is happening right now. Can't you see it?" She scoffed. "And I always thought you were the smart one. You...always were the smart one, you know."

I walked back to Jonathan and grabbed the bat from him. I ripped out a nail from it and dropped the bat on the floor. I then walked a bit forward back towards Barb and put the nail to my wrist. "What would become of your Master when I bleed out and die?" I threatened.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Barb scoffed again and shook her head as if tired of all this. "Go on. Go right ahead. Kill yourself. That's what _I_ want. I _want_ you to die, you bitch." All 4 of us were taken aback by such foul language coming out from Barb's mouth, but I had to remind myself that this wasn't Barb. This was a demon using her body to get to me. She started walking slowly towards me, and I stood my ground keeping my eyes on her. "To _me_ , you are a worthless piece of shit who deserves to be nothing but miserable for the rest of your life. I look at you now and still wonder, why you? Why are _you_ so special to the Master? You're nothing, a nobody. You're only needed because of your mother. You don't deserve the Master's attention!" I could see Barb was sort of losing her cool because of this.

"Who is your Master?" I asked.

" _Our_ Master," she snarled upset at my disrespect. "You'll meet him soon enough." Behind Barb, 3 monsters appeared.

"Holy shit," Steve whined. One was already hard enough, but now we were up against 3 at once. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Stand your ground," Nancy commanded him. Jonathan was already doing so, holding the bat in his hands firmly. He took a step forward and stood beside me.

"I'll fight with you," he said to me.


	9. Chapter 9

The 3 monsters spread out to try to surround us. There was no way we'd make it out alive, but I didn't want to go without a fight even if it meant exposing my dark secret. I focused and imagined my wolf form, and then I felt the pain. I fell on my knees in pain, and Jonathan immediately knelt down beside me. "Val, what's wrong?" he asked panicking not understanding why I was suddenly hurting.

"Get back!" I shouted and pushed him away. He watched my fangs, claws, and raven fur grow. His mouth dropped as he watched me transform into a large wolf.

"Holy shit," Steve uttered in shock. Nancy couldn't move or speak. And I didn't care. I didn't care what they thought of me at that moment. All I cared about was saving all our lives.

I stood my ground, standing in front of my friends to protect them till the end. I growled and watched the 3 monsters approaching me almost mockingly, taunting me. I waited until they made the first move. The middle one lunged at me, and I dodged it. I back-tracked and bit into the monster's back. It howled and threw me down to the ground. It slashed me, and I staggered back in pain. "Val, be careful!" Nancy shouted.

I growled and snarled to intimidate and to build up my own courage. I attacked once more, but I had no chance against 3. I was overpowered, and I was beaten badly. They slashed, bit, and tore me apart. One threw me down like a rag doll, and I tumbled to Jonathan's side weak and unable to move from the pain. He knelt down and put his hand on my abdomen feeling the fur on his skin while holding onto the bat with his other hand. "Val," he uttered.

Jonathan stood up, pissed and with no fear. There he was standing up against 3 monsters he never faced before till tonight. He held the bat tightly in his hand, glaring down the creatures. He was going to fight for me like he said. I couldn't believe how brave he was, how much courage he had to stand up and fight against these monsters for me. I lied on the floor watching Jonathan take a step forward to protect me the way I did before for him. "You want her?" he exclaimed. "You'll have to kill me first."

"Kill him," Barb ordered the monsters. Before the monsters could've attacked, two werewolves lunged forward out from the trees and stood in front of Jonathan to prevent him from fighting he'd die from. It was my dad and Uncle Kaet. They came to save us, to save me.

My dad attacked first, and he was good. I watched with disbelief at how strong and agile he was. He easily took down a monster, and so did Uncle Kaet. There was one monster left standing, and Barb knew it was over. How the tides had turned so quickly. Barb had to improvise, and so she used this moment to carry out her diabolical plan.

My dad and Uncle Kaet were busy taking care of the last monster that they didn't notice Barb transforming herself into a Nightwalker. It was a power the Master had granted her once he made her his possession. With her superhuman speed, she shoved Jonathan out of her way. He fell on his back a couple feet away from where he was standing and dropped the bat, unaware at what made him fall to the floor.

Barb picked me up by the neck as a wolf, and she was choking the life out of me. I couldn't breathe, and I felt myself transforming back into a human. She knew she didn't have a lot of time, so she started her chant quickly. She was trying to possess my body by transferring her soul into me. "No," I muttered breathlessly.

I was completely frightened. I didn't want to be possessed by this demon, but little did I know she was no demon. She was something greater, something more powerful and it would've been a disgrace to call her just a demon. Barb choked me harder and snarled with a smile while continuing the chant, nearly complete. "Let her go!" Nancy shouted. Steve grabbed a rock and threw it at Barb. It barely made a scratch on her, and she didn't falter her gaze into my eyes. She wanted to see the last bit of life sucked out of me before she could take over my soul.

Steve grabbed another rock and threw it again, this time hitting Barb in the head. She stopped the chant for a moment, and it was this moment that saved my life...

* * *

*Jonathan's POV*

Steve grabbed another rock and threw it at Barbara's head. It hit her hard, and I guess it pissed her off. She continued to choke Valerie, but she stopped speaking and glared at Steve. I knew I had to do something now at this very moment. I had to save Valerie no matter what.

I grabbed the bat and made a run for it towards Barbara and Valerie. With all my might, with my full power, I swung the bat and it hit Barbara in the head. She was caught off guard by my swing, and she dropped Valerie on the ground. I was about to take another swing, but the two werewolves took care of Barbara.

Man, it was a sight to see, that fight. Two werewolves completely mauling and destroying this...this creature. Just thinking back to this image of Barbara still sends chills down my spine. She had blood red eyes, and they were dilated. Fangs like a monster, no hair anywhere, and hieroglyphs on the body. She had no chance against two werewolves, and they were literally tearing her body apart into pieces. It was gruesome, but I couldn't look away.

Her arm was thrown one direction, her leg was thrown in the other direction, and her decapitated head was stomped on by the werewolves. Jesus Christ, it was gruesome, real bloody, downright from a horror movie.

I heard Valerie gag, and I dropped to my knees to look at her. I dropped the bat and held her in my arms. I prayed to God I wasn't too late, but I was. Valerie started convulsing, and the werewolves were done destroying Barbara's body. Nancy and Steve ran to us and knelt down. "Oh my god," Nancy cried, "what's happening to her?"

One of the werewolves grabbed Valerie from my arms and started walking away with her. "Hey wait!" I shouted as I grabbed the nailed bat again, not wanting to take a risk. "Where are you going with her?!" They didn't turn back. They kept walking and I followed them from behind. Nancy and Steve followed me. When we finally managed to get out of the woods, I noticed that it wasn't a werewolf holding Valerie anymore. It was her dad, and an old Native American man was walking beside him.

I looked back at Nancy and Steve, and they couldn't believe it either. Faceless creatures from another world, vampire-looking monsters, and werewolves. It all happened in one night. How could anyone have expected such a thing?

We followed Valerie's dad to his house, and we all entered. Her dad put her down in her bed, and she wasn't convulsing anymore. It looked like she was sleeping now. Right when Valerie's dad turned back to talk to us, I saw Valerie sit up in bed with one motion. "Val!" I shouted.

Her dad turned around, and I knew something was wrong. It just didn't look like Valerie was back, and she was far from it. "You are too late, old fools!" she snarled in a demonic voice, glaring at her father and uncle. "Her body now belongs to the Master!" She then screamed at the top of her lungs, and it made me jump from fright. I saw burns and sores forming on Val's arms, and her dad pushed her down to the bed.

"Get out from her body, you demon!" he shouted angrily.

"I am no demon!" Valerie spat back. "I am the offspring of the Mother of Evil! I am the Beast, and nothing you do will stop the Master from taking this world back from those wretched beings!" She laughed demonically, and it sent chills down my spine. I was afraid of what was controlling Valerie's body, and it reminded me of The Exorcist. It was a terrifying movie, and it was even more so in real life.

Valerie's dad started saying something in another language, and I could only assume he was praying for his daughter. Maybe it was Latin? I couldn't tell. I just stood there watching everything. Valerie's uncle then turned to us and ushered us out of her room. He closed the door to leave Valerie and her father alone, and he led us to the living room.

"Take a seat," he said to us. We all sat down on one couch, me in the middle with Nancy on my right and Steve on my left. It was a while since we sat, and I almost sunk into the couch tired from the long night. "You kids, who are you?" We looked at each other, and I spoke up first.

"I'm Jonathan. This is Nancy and Steve. We're Valerie's friends."

"Friends, huh? I recognize you," he said looking at Nancy, and she recognized him, too. "What were you doing with Val in the woods? Start from the very beginning."

"Jonathan and I, we found out how to draw in the monster," Nancy began. "It's attracted to blood. So Jonathan and I tried to draw out the monster in his house."

"Why?"

"Because my mother and the sheriff are trying to save my little brother from the lab out in the woods," I replied. "If they were confronted by the monster, they would've died. So Nancy and I had to make sure nothing got in their way on...the other side."

"So Jonathan and I managed to get the monster to come out in his house, and that's when Val showed up. And she...she started talking in this weird language. I never heard of it before. And the monster...she managed to kill it. It turned into dust. But there were more in the woods, and we decided that they needed to be killed."

"How stupid!" We all jumped from the man's sudden reaction. "You had no idea what you were going up against, and you decided to go and try to kill it?!"

"If we didn't, then they would've hurt my mother and the sheriff, and maybe even my little brother," I spoke up. "Is she going to be alright? Valerie's gonna be okay, right?"

"I don't know."

"What's happened to her?" Steve asked. "Why was she talking like that in there?"

"It seems the demon has possessed her body."

"Barb?" Nancy asked in tears. "Barb possessed Val's body?"

"It seems so," he replied sadly.

"She said she was the Beast, the offspring of the Mother of Evil," I said. "What did she mean by that? Was she talking about the Beast from the Bible?"

"I don't know."

"Well, what can we do for her?" Steve asked. "There's gotta be something we can do to help."

"I'm afraid not. The only thing we can do is wait and pray for her soul."

"Pray for her soul?" Nancy asked. "Is...is she being tortured or something?"

"And worse. A demon has possessed Valerie's body. She must now fight back to take over, or she will be lost forever." I couldn't believe any of this was happening. It was all too much. How could a demon possess Valerie's body? What was happening to her? To her soul? Was she really being tortured? I couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through. But I did what the man told me to do. I sat there, waited, and prayed for Valerie.

Nancy held my hand tightly, and I looked at her. "We need to pray," she said to me. I nodded, and I put my hands together to pray for Valerie.

 _God, I pray for Valerie, that you will save her soul. Please bring her back to us. I beg of you. Please bring Valerie back. Give her the strength to fight back the demon and to take back her body. Please give her the strength. You gave me the courage to fight those monsters and Barbara, and I know it was to protect Valerie. Please, please save her. Bring her back to me, God...please...I know I don't deserve her, I know I don't. But...but I want her. I want to love her. Just give me this one chance, God, I beg of you. Please-_

The door opened, and I stopped my prayer mid-sentence. Valerie's dad stepped out and closed the door behind him. He noticed we were still there but ignored us and turned to the man. "I need to make a few phone calls."

"What about these kids? They saw everything." Valerie's dad looked at us again and sighed. He approached us, and we all just looked at him. He was slightly intimidating, and we were all silent.

"It'd be best if we keep all this between us in this room." We all nodded quietly, not daring to speak up against that statement. "Val's sick...and I don't know when she'll get better."

"What can we do to help?" Nancy asked.

"Nothing. There's nothing any of us can do but wait and pray. This is a fight between the demon and Val's soul. She needs to be strong enough to overcome it. So pray for her."

"Sh-should we go back home?" Steve asked.

"If you want." We all looked at one another and knew we couldn't leave just yet. But I needed to know what happened to my mom and Will.

"Jonathan, you should call your mom and see where she is," Nancy said to me. "See if she's back with Will."

"Y-Yeah," I replied.

"Do you need a phone?" Valerie's dad asked me.

"Yeah. Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

I walked to use their landline, and I dialed my mom's number. Luckily she picked up. "Mom?" I asked.

"Jonathan? Oh Jonathan, thank god it's you! We found Will! We found him!" she cried over the phone.

"You found him," I cried with joy happy that my little brother was found. "W-where are you guys?"

"We're at the hospital. We're in Room 777."

"Alright. I'll be there soon. Love you, mom."

"I love you too, Jonathan," she cried. We hung up, and I looked back to Valerie's room.

"She won't be going anywhere," her dad said to me. "You should go to your little brother."

"What about you two?" I asked Nancy and Steve.

"We'll stay here and watch over Val," Nancy suggested. "Go to Will. He needs you there."

"Yeah, we'll let you know if anything happens with Val," Steve chimed in. "Go see your brother first."

"Can I come back after?" I asked Valerie's dad.

"Yeah. She'll need as much support as she can get." I sighed, feeling uncomfortable leaving Valerie alone to fight off the demon possessing her body. But there really was nothing I could do. It was her own battle, and I had to believe she was strong enough to defeat it by herself. I reluctantly left Valerie's house and went back to mine to drive to the hospital.

I arrived at Room 777, and I quietly opened the door. There I saw Will on the hospital bed talking with my mom. I smiled and couldn't stop crying seeing him there alive. All this time, he was alive. How scared he must've been to be up against those monsters all by himself. I went to Will's bedside, and my mom smiled at me. I sat beside Will, and he smiled at me. "Hey," he said weakly to me.

"Hey," I said right back. I wiped my tears, but more just came.

"Where's Val?"

"...she's..." My mom looked at me with curious eyes wondering what had happened to her. She knew it must've been something bad by the look on my face.

"What happened to her?" Will asked concerned.

"Something...possessed her."

"What?" my mom asked with disbelief.

"It's a long story, mom. But...Val is trying to fight for her life. Nancy and Steve are with her, and her dad's there, too."

"Is she gonna be okay?" she asked.

"I don't know. I...I'm praying she'll be fine."

"How are you, honey?" I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to lie that I was fine because I really wasn't.

"Go to her," Will said to me. I looked at him, and he smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Mom's with me. But Val needs you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. She helped save me. You should go to save her for me."

"Go, honey," my mom said. "I'll be here with Will. And if anything happens, I'll go to the house and come find you."

"Thanks mom. I'll be home when you get there, alright, kiddo?"

"Yeah," Will nodded. I stood up and smiled at my little brother. My mom gave my hand a kiss.

"Go save her for us, Jonathan," she said. I nodded, and left the hospital. I drove back to Valerie's house, and I knocked on the front door. Nancy came to the door and let me in. Valerie's dad was on the phone, and I sat back on the couch with Nancy and Steve.

"How's Will?" Nancy asked.

"He's fine. My mom's with him. He's awake."

"Thank god," she said with relief. "Nothing's happened much with Val. Her dad's making phone calls to doctors. I'm guessing he knows them personally."

"Hey Jonathan, I uh..." Steve started out but stopped. Nancy and I both looked at him. "I just wanted to apologize for everything. Everything I did to you, man. It was all uncool. I mean, I broke your camera, I said all those horrible things about you and your family. I'm...I'm just really sorry, man."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"No, I really mean it, man. I didn't...realize how hard you got it. And I'm really sorry, Jonathan."

"Seriously. It's fine." I sighed, and Nancy held my hand comfortingly.

"Val's gonna be fine," she said to me reassuringly.


	10. Chapter 10

It'd been nearly a week since a demon possessed Valerie's body, and nothing had gotten better with her. Sure, Will was back home and recovering from spending months in the other world. It was something he refused to talk about even with me, and I didn't pester him about it. I knew he'd talk about it when he was ready to. For now, I tried to keep him occupied with other things as best I could. But I knew he changed. I mean, who wouldn't after having gone through what he did? I could only imagine half of what he went through in that other world.

I let the boys hang out at my house as much as I could to keep Will occupied while I spent a big portion of my days at Valerie's home to watch over her and make sure she didn't hurt herself. This demon, it was a real bad one. It made Valerie hurt her own body, and she needed to be restrained with ropes. It was terrible to see her like that, but it was the only way from hurting herself or worse killing herself.

I barely ever had any energy left at the end of each day, spending it all on Will and Valerie to make sure they were well. It was easier to help Will because he had his friends, but taking care of Valerie was tough. She'd say the nastiest things to me in that demonic voice, and seconds later the demon would let her back into her body for a couple of seconds to just toy with her and me. She'd cry and scream for me to help her, begging for me to save her. And right then the demon would take over again and spit in my face.

Valerie's dad told me not to take anything personally, that demons were meant to stir doubt in one's faith. I couldn't help but feel like we were bonding during this time, Val's dad and I. All of us were actually. Her dad, uncle, me, Nancy, and Steve. We all took turns taking care of Valerie, and I offered to help the most along with her dad. We all cared for Valerie and prayed for her every single day that she'd come back to us.

The doctors Valerie's dad called finally arrived, and there were two of them: Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Henry Jekyll. Valerie's dad introduced us all, and I shook the doctors' hands. "So, how is she?" Frankenstein asked to the dad.

"Bad. It's like what happened to Vanessa," he whispered.

"That bad?"

"Very."

"Alright, well I brought everything I need. She'll fight it, just like her mother. Have faith."

* * *

*Valerie's POV*

Hell. It was a perpetual vicious cycle of happiness and bliss yet pain and extreme loneliness. I had everything I wanted in Hell. I lived out my childhood happily, stayed in Hawkins and didn't have the curse of the wolf. My mother and father were together, happy and loving. And it all happened just to remind me that none of it was real. It was what could've been in a parallel universe, but not the one I belonged in and knew to be real.

And now here I was in a beautiful home. A little girl ran into the room laughing with joy, and she hopped onto my lap. "Mommy, can you finish the story about the doggies?" I looked at this little girl, and she looked so familiar.

"What did daddy say?" I asked with a smile.

"He said he's going to feed Ethan first."

"Already done." I looked up and saw Jonathan there holding a little baby boy with dark raven hair like mine. I looked at Jonathan and tears formed in my eyes. He smiled awkwardly yet confidently, and he kissed me on the lips sweetly. "Everything okay? You look kinda out of it."

"N-no...I-I'm alright. Everything's fine," I replied and looked into his eyes. It was real. This was real...or it felt so real. But it couldn't be.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." He smiled at me and our baby boy burped. We laughed together, all of us, and it felt so wrong. This wasn't making sense. I knew this wasn't meant to be, it was just a deep desire of mine. I knew this wasn't what I was destined for. This happy lifestyle, this blissful family, it wasn't meant for me. I didn't belong in that kind of world. I had a much darker road ahead of me, one that was a curse running in my blood. "I...I'm just gonna go get a glass of water. I'll be right back."

I left the living room and headed to the kitchen. I couldn't stop the tears, trying my best to break out of this torture. Just then, there was a loud bang in the living room. And another. I ran into the living room and screamed at what I saw. Jonathan was holding a gun and had shot our son and daughter dead. "Now it's just you and me, Val," Jonathan said to me looking right at me.

"No," I whimpered. Jonathan slowly pointed the gun at me, and before he could pull the trigger, two pairs of hands ripped right through his chest. It ripped Jonathan apart in half like tissue paper, and blood and organs spilled everywhere. I froze in shock and disgust, staring at the monster that did this. And there was the faceless monster again looking right at me.

I was tired of fighting, tired of all these hallucinations and delusions I was suffering through in this wretched world. I fell on my knees and did the only thing I knew how to do well: pray. I prayed my heart and tongue out in Latin, versing every single prayer and verse I knew from the Bible. I prayed and prayed for God to save me from Hell, and then I heard a voice. "Val. Valerie, wake up." It was Jonathan! "Open your eyes, Valerie."

The monster roared, and I saw it about to lunge at me. But I was protected by some kind of invisible shield. The monster couldn't get near me. It tried and tried but couldn't move any closer towards me. The darkness faded into bright light, and I had to shut my eyes to shield myself from the light...

I opened my eyes wide open, and I couldn't move my body. It felt so heavy and I was in great pain. "Val!" Jonathan, my dad, Dr. Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll surrounded me with wide eyes and shock mixed with relief. "Val, you're awake!"

"Baby, can you hear me?" my dad asked. I couldn't respond. I couldn't believe I wasn't in Hell anymore. I was back, and it was all because of the power of God.

"Daddy," I whispered weakly. "I'm back."

"Come. Let's give them some privacy," Dr. Frankenstein suggested. I watched him, Dr. Jekyll, and Jonathan leave. He looked back at me, and I looked back at him. He smiled, relieved I was at least awake, and he closed the door behind him.

"You should rest, Val. You went through hell."

"Yeah." My dad couldn't understand how right and literal his statement was. "Can you bring in Jonathan, dad? I want to talk to him."

"Sure. But you need to get some sleep after, all right?"

"Okay." My dad kissed me on the forehead and left to get Jonathan. A few seconds after, I saw him enter my room. He smiled again, and closed the door behind him. He walked towards me, and I couldn't help but start crying. I was so glad to see him alive and well instead of in two pieces having been ripped apart by the monster. Jonathan sat beside me and held my hand.

"Hey," he said to me simply.

"Hey. Will?"

"He's home recovering. He hasn't gone back to school yet though. He wanted to visit, but I told him not to. I didn't...you know, want him to get scared."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"You woke me up. Your voice...it brought me back."

"It did?" Jonathan was surprised that he helped bring me back from Hell. "Guess it was meant to be." He played with my hand gently and shyly. I smiled and tried to squeeze his hand, and he felt it. Jonathan intertwined our fingers and held my hand firmly. "I'm glad you're back, Val."

"Stay with me," I whispered looking into his eyes.

"I will." He looked into my eyes, and I wanted to kiss him so badly. I wished he would lie in bed with me to hold me in his arms, but I was too weak to do anything. "You know, winter vacation is in 2 weeks. And the Winter Ball is this Friday."

"Winter Ball?"

"Yeah, it's like this school dance. You know...if you're feeling up to it, if you can, I mean, you don't have to...well...do you, uh...wanna go with me?"

"I'd love to." A knock came on my door, and Nancy poked her head in. She entered my room and so did Steve. He closed the door behind him, and they came over to my side. Nancy stayed on the other side of me and held my other hand.

"Oh, Val." Nancy started crying, sobbing for me and what I went through. All her bottled up emotions came spilling out.

"You okay, Valerie?" Steve asked for Nancy.

"Getting better," I replied. He smiled, and I smiled back. I didn't forget that Steve was the one who tried to protect me by throwing rocks at Barb. He saved my life. And there the 4 of us were, me listening to everything that had happened since the demon possessed my body, and Nancy and Steve did most of the talking. Nancy did more of the what-happened part while Steve painted the picture with his illustrious adjectives and acting skills. I couldn't help but laugh at times, and it felt good. Having this friendship with Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve felt right, and I knew I was blessed. God sent such great friends to me to help me on my journey, and I knew a beautiful friendship was blossoming between us all.

* * *

I looked at some of my mother's dresses I brought back from Sir Malcolm's chateau back in London. I picked one elegant gown, and I changed into it. It was the day of the Winter Ball, and I wanted to look glamorous for Jonathan. This feeling, I feel like I've felt it before. Maybe not in my lifetime, but maybe in a different lifetime. These butterflies felt familiar, and it was all because of Jonathan.

We barely were even friends, having really spent a couple of days together since we first met. But the times we spent together were always life-changing and eye-opening that it seemed like we knew each other since forever, maybe in other lifetimes. A knock came on my door, and my dad peeked inside. "Wow," he said with a big smile. "You're beautiful, Val."

"Thanks, dad," I smiled shyly. "You know, I'm a little scared."

"Aw, don't be, sweetheart," he said and hugged me. "You'll be the belle of the ball."

"Pf," I chortled and hugged my dad back.

"If it makes you feel any better, Jonathan is just as scared as you are. I could smell it on that boy." We both laughed, and my dad took a better look at me.

"Your mother always had good taste in dresses." I smiled.

"I wish I knew mom. I mean...I wish she could be here with us."

"I wish so, too. Well, c'mon. Jonathan's waiting." I nodded, and my dad walked me out of my room to Jonathan in the living room. He was there in a humble suit, but he was so handsome in my eyes. The way we looked at each other, it must've touched my dad making him think back to the times when he was with my mother.

"Wow," Jonathan said exasperated by my beauty. I smiled shyly and flushed. "You're beautiful."

"Thanks. You look good too," I replied.

"Remember, Jonathan, I want her home before midnight, alright?"

"You got it, sir," he replied. Jonathan then held my hand, and I looked back at my dad.

"Bye, dad."

"Bye, Val. Love you."

"Love you too." Jonathan and I walked out of my house, and he opened the door to his car for me. I smiled and got in, and he drove us to school. He parked in the lot, and we sat in there for a bit. I could hear the music from the lot, and the dance was close by in the gym.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Can we...just sit for a while?"

"Sure." We sat quietly for a while, and Jonathan could sense something was wrong. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I...I'm just glad to be here with you." We smiled at each other, and I leaned in for a kiss. He leaned in too, and we kissed each other sweetly. I broke the kiss, still haunted by the images I saw in Hell especially the one where Jonathan split in half. I just wanted to spend as much time with him before leaving for London for winter vacation. Though I tried to act normal, I couldn't be. Not after having gone to Hell and back. I was haunted and had nightmares every night. It was something no one could help me with, not even Jonathan. I needed to go to London to find my mother for help, and my dad supported my decision. He gave my mother's location to me and helped me book a flight for the day right after the Winter Ball. "Jonathan. Let's go."

We got out of the car together and made our way to the gym hand-in-hand. We entered, and it was exciting for me to see the scenery. The dance floor, the drinks, the mingling. And there I saw Nancy and Steve together. They smiled at us, and we walked towards them. We greeted each other and grabbed a table together. "So you're not hanging out with Tommy and Carol anymore?" I asked Steve.

"Nah, forget them," Steve said disregarding those two. "Hey, who wants some shots?" Steve smiled sneakily and brought out his flask from his suit.

"Steve!" Nancy yelped seeing it and playfully slapping his arm.

"Hey, we gotta have some fun, right? Val, want some?"

"I'm okay," I refused.

"Aw, c'mon. Don't be a party pooper," Steve whined cutely and pouted jokingly. I smiled and looked at Jonathan. He nodded, wanting me to have fun. I rolled my eyes and took a small sip. I coughed after swallowing the alcohol. I've had alcohol before, especially wine, but this was just too strong. "Strong, huh? It's my dad's." Steve then took a sip and offered Jonathan some.

"I can't. I gotta drive," Jonathan refused.

"Ah, you got a couple of hours before the dance is done."

"No, I'm good."

"Ah, alright," Steve said knowing he wasn't going to convince Jonathan. I smiled at Jonathan.

"Hey, we're gonna go dance," I said to Nancy and Steve. I led Jonathan to the dance floor, and I had a great time dancing with him. He wasn't a very good dancer, and I loved it when he tried to be silly. It made me laugh so hard, and I enjoyed every moment with him. And I especially loved it when the music slowed down for a love song.

"I-I don't know how to dance to this," Jonathan confessed shyly.

"Don't worry. Just follow my lead." I made him put one hand on my waist and the other in my hand. "Always look in my eyes. Don't look down at your feet."

"But what if I step on you?"

"Try not to," I smiled. He nodded nervously, and I led the dance. He looked in my eyes but couldn't help but look down. And he stepped on my foot. "Ow."

"Sorry!"

"It's fine," I laughed. "I told you not to look down."

"Y-yeah," he replied embarrassed. Jonathan looked back into my eyes, and we danced to a beautiful love song. I was moved by the song and just looking into Jonathan's face as we danced. Tears formed in my eyes just thinking about how I had to leave him for winter vacation. I wished I could bring him with me, but this was a personal journey I needed to do alone.

But at this moment with Jonathan, life just felt so divine. It felt like the world didn't matter, just as long as I was with him. I suppose that's how my mother felt about my dad, and that's why she couldn't live with us. Jonathan could see something was in the back of my head. He already knew me too well and could read me like a child's book.

Without a word to him, I let go of the dance and held onto his hand. I looked back at him as I led the way out of the gym. I didn't want to be at the dance anymore. We left the dance without a word and got into Jonathan's car. "Want to go somewhere?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter. Just as long as it's us." Jonathan started up the car and he drove off towards the beach. He parked his car in the empty lot overlooking the beach, and we could hear the waves crashing. I looked at Jonathan, and he looked back at me. Passion filled both our hearts, and we immediately leaned in for a heated kiss. Our tongues played with one another and I wanted to be close to Jonathan's body.

I slowly broke the kiss but kept my gaze on Jonathan. I slowly got out of the passenger's seat and went into the backseat, and Jonathan followed. He sat right next to me in the back, and we took a moment to look into each other's eyes. We kissed again, and it got hot in the car. One thing led to the next, and things moved too fast. I couldn't stop this desire to be with Jonathan, to let him inside me.

I sat on his lap and kissed him, fiddling with my dress to signal to him I wanted more. He broke the kiss and we were both breathless. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked looking into my eyes.

"Yes," I whispered and kissed his neck lovingly. He moaned quietly and held me tight. I moved my hands down to his pants and unzipped it. It was my first time ever, and it was his first time, too. It hurt a lot in the beginning, but as we moved our bodies together it felt better. Jonathan was now on top pleasing me beyond anything I ever knew, and I felt his pace speeding up. It only exacerbated my pleasure, and we came together. He made sure to pull out before finishing, and it spilled on the floor of his car.

We both pulled up our undergarments and we sat up in the back seat. Jonathan wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in close as he tried regaining his normal breathing pattern. I tried to calm my body too, and I held onto Jonathan tightly loving him more than before. The way we made love tonight, it was absolutely magnificent and exhilarating. It was surreal and nothing I ever felt before, a kind of pleasure that only he could give me both physically and emotionally. "Jonathan," I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I'm leaving for London tomorrow." He backed away a little so that he could look into my face.

"What?"

"I'm going to be in London for winter vacation," I answered looking into his eyes. "I need to find my mother."

"...how long will you be there?"

"The whole vacation. Maybe longer. I don't know."

"Is that why you were a little tense all night?"

"Yeah."

"You could've told me sooner." He held my hand warmly. "Be safe there. And if you need to talk, just write me. Or call me." I smiled and kissed Jonathan sweetly.

"I will. I'll write to you every day. Thank you for understanding."

* * *

I arrived in London by myself with my one suitcase, and I took a taxi towards the countryside. I got off at the 3rd village we came by, and I had to make the rest of my trip by a horse carriage. And there, up ahead, I saw a little cottage in the middle of nowhere surrounded by grass and a lonely tree. I stopped the carriage a few yards away from the place, and I paid the driver. I got out of the carriage with my suitcase and stared at the little house.

The door opened, and I saw a young woman exit the house. She looked to be maybe in her early 30's like my father. Even though he was very very old, he looked like he was in his early 30's. The woman looked right at me, and I approached her cautiously. I could see her face from this distance, and it was the same face of my mother in my dreams. I knew it had to be her. She started walking slowly towards me, and we looked at each other. "Mom?" I asked.

"Valerie." She smiled and tears rolled down her eyes.


End file.
